Study finds patients with psoriasis have elevated risk of AMD

Research presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress 2025 (Paris, 17–20 September) has highlighted an association between psoriasis and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Dr Alison Treichel, a dermatologist at the University of Rochester, presented findings from a 15-year retrospective cohort study involving 22,901 patients over the age of 55 with psoriasis.

Treichel highlighted that the study found an association between psoriasis and both exudative and non-exudative AMD.

“Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease in which lipid dysregulation contributes to cardiovascular disease,” she explained.

“Because abnormal lipid deposition in the retina is a hallmark of AMD, particularly the dry form that causes progressive vision loss, it is biologically plausible that psoriasis could increase AMD risk,” Treichel observed.

The study found that psoriasis patients treated with biologic therapies had a 27% lower risk of developing AMD compared with those who were treated with topical corticosteroids only.

“Biologic therapies could offer protective benefits beyond skin symptoms. Further research is needed to determine whether these treatments have a true disease-modifying effect,” Treichel said.