{"id":552705,"date":"2026-07-16T13:06:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T13:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/552705\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T13:06:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T13:06:26","slug":"dermatologist-reveals-no-1-skin-symptom-that-can-be-a-sign-of-heart-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/552705\/","title":{"rendered":"Dermatologist Reveals No. 1 Skin Symptom That Can Be a Sign of Heart Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have any chronic skin issue, it\u2019s easy to become focused on how it looks. But whether you\u2019re dealing with acne, rosacea<\/a> or eczema, these conditions often aren\u2019t just about your skin.<\/p>\n

And it can be helpful to zoom out to recognize the other risks, including heart health risks, that can come with certain skin conditions, a dermatologist tells TODAY.com.<\/p>\n

Skin Health Tip of the Day: Skin Inflammation Can Signal Underlying Heart Issues<\/p>\n

\u201cThe skin is not separate from the rest of the body,\u201d says Dr. Saranya Wyles, a dermatologist specializing in regenerative medicine and skin aging. And the inflammation you see on the surface can be a sign of something going awry underneath.<\/p>\n

We know this link exists thanks to inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis<\/a>, she says. People with psoriasis, particularly severe psoriasis, have an increased risk for major heart events, including heart attacks and strokes, research shows.<\/a><\/p>\n

Psoriasis also increases the risk for a condition called metabolic syndrome, which can lead to high blood pressure, high blood sugar and abnormal cholesterol levels. Those can all make heart issues more likely, Wyles says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo psoriasis actually is now recognized in our American Heart Association<\/a> cardiovascular guidelines as a risk-enhancing inflammatory condition,\u201d Wyles explains. \u201cIt\u2019s not (just) a cosmetic skin concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why It Matters<\/p>\n

Skin inflammation like that seen in psoriasis can signal underlying chronic inflammation<\/a>, which also raises the risk for heart disease.<\/p>\n

In fact, this potential link between systemic health issues and skin appearance is something Wyles is researching right now through her Skin Aging and Longevity Understanding Database <\/a>(SALUD) study. As part of that study, her team is investigating whether there are correlations among a person\u2019s heart activity, chronological age and skin health.<\/p>\n

Although researchers are still teasing apart the underlying mechanisms<\/a> that may connect skin and heart health, it\u2019s important for people who have skin conditions like psoriasis to understand how this could affect their other health risks.<\/p>\n

But not all inflammatory skin conditions are related directly to heart health, Wyles explains. Conditions like eczema or dry skin, which are related to skin barrier issues, \u201cmore mirror our gut microbiome,<\/a>\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In general, though, if your skin is inflamed, that can be a signal that you\u2019re dealing with an underlying health issue of some kind.<\/p>\n

How to Get Started<\/p>\n

If you experience prolonged changes to your skin, especially inflammation, it\u2019s worth talking to a health care professional. And if you\u2019ve already been diagnosed with psoriasis, then know your risk of heart issues is higher.<\/p>\n

The most common sign of inflammation on skin is redness, Wyles says. \u201cDarker skin tones reflect more of a subtle redness that\u2019s harder to perceive, but they are also getting red.\u201d (In people with darker skin tones, the redness may look more brown or purple-ish, TODAY.com explained previously<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

But keep in mind that your skin changes as you age, which can make inflammation and dryness more common.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour skin barrier, which is your body\u2019s armor to the outside world, is not as intact,\u201d Wyles explains. \u201cYou\u2019re going to be more susceptible to infection. … You\u2019re just more easily influenced by external stressors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom line? Pay attention to skim symptoms that are out of the norm for you because \u201chealthy skin looks different on everybody,\u201d Wyles says. And keep your skin hydrated and moisturized<\/a> to support a healthy barrier, she adds. <\/p>\n

TODAY\u2019s Expert Tip of the Day<\/a> series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you have any chronic skin issue, it\u2019s easy to become focused on how it looks. But whether…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":552706,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[103,61,60],"class_list":["post-552705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}