In a study researchers fond that Women with psoriasis have a higher risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, may be due to the underlying inflammation that causes the skin condition. The researchers studied thousands of female US nurses who enrolled in a study in 1991 and have been checked periodically for numerous health-related issues. They noted that 1,813 women were diagnosed with psoriasis over a 14-year period. These women were 63 percent more likely to develop diabetes and 17 percent more likely to develop hypertension than those who were psoriasis-free. The team said inflammation can lead to high blood pressure and may also be a factor in insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition. They also noted that the link was found regardless of their weight, age and whether they smoked. While other studies have linked psoriasis to diabetes and hypertension, factors like obesity and smoking have variously been blamed. The study was involved only women so the findings cannot be generalized to men or to other races. Systemic steroid therapy for psoriasis could foster diabetes or hypertension but this treatment is not the standard for care in the United States and patients often abandon steroid creams after short periods of use.