Anti-inflammatory biologic drugs prevent heart disease in psoriasis sufferers

Anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat severe psoriasis have the potential to prevent heart disease, a new study found. The drugs target immune system activity and can reduce the early plaque buildup that clogs arteries, restricts blood flow, and leads to heart attacks and stroke. During one year of treatment, biologic therapy improved coronary artery plaque similar to the effect of a low-dose statin. The study found the first in-human evidence that treatment of a known inflammatory condition with biologic therapy, a type of drugs that suppresses the immune system, was associated with a reduction in coronary artery disease.