text_1: Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms curbed by bariatric surgery
text_2: This is a chart review study which shows that losing excess weight by undergoing bariatric surgery could lessen the pain and inflammation experienced by psoriasis sufferers. While the treatment sounds hopeful, important information about the other (overall) benefits of bariatric surgery, its risks, alternatives and costs, including costs of treating complications, were all missing from this news release. This news release comes from a poster presented at a national meeting, which has not yet undergone peer review. Many key elements were not well described or sufficiently highlighted. The fact that this research comes from observational data (chart review) is important since we cannot infer causation from this type of research, and it is possible that some other factor stemming from the surgery besides the weight loss (for example, changes in diet or absorption of key nutrients) was responsible for the remission in psoriasis symptoms, rather than the weight loss itself. Psoriasis affects millions of Americans, and many people with moderate to severe psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis in their lifetimes. If obesity contributes to the development of this painful condition, then weight loss methods such as bariatric surgery may reduce those symptoms. Psoriasis sufferers may have few options to treat what is a lifetime of inflammation and pain, so if safe and effective methods to reduce those symptoms are available, many people could benefit. However, it needs to be pointed out that bariatric surgery is indicated only for morbid obesity, and it is not clear whether other weight loss therapies would result in the same benefit.