A recent study investigated the effects of a 12-week lifestyle modification program on erectile dysfunction and metabolic syndrome components in men with obesity and chronic plaque psoriasis. The randomized controlled trial explored the response of the conditions to a program combining a low-calorie diet and moderate-intensity treadmill walking.
The study, published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science, included 60 men with obesity and chronic plaque psoriasis (CPP), mild to moderate erectile dysfunction (ED), and metabolic syndrome (MeTS), who were randomly assigned to either the lifestyle modification group (n=30) or the waitlist group (n=30). The lifestyle modification group received a low-calorie diet and a supervised exercise program, while the waitlist group was instructed not to change their lifestyle habits.
The researchers assessed various outcomes, including BMI, psoriasis severity (using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index), ED (using the five-item International Index of Erectile Function, and components of MeTS such as waist circumference, blood pressure, serum high-density lipoprotein, serum triglycerides, and serum fasting blood glucose.
The results showed significant improvements in all outcomes for the lifestyle modification group, while the waitlist group did not experience similar improvements. The researchers suggested that the exercise-induced decrease in psoriatic severity might be partially due to a decrease in obesity-associated adipose tissue mass, which was linked to a decreased release of inflammatory cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. This reduction in cytokine production was thought to restrict the causative role in the induction of CPP and improve the low-grade systemic inflammation common in CPP-associated comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, MeTS, and ED.
The study's authors proposed several mechanisms that might explain the improvement in MeTS components, including a reduction in sympathetic nervous system overactivity, improved vascular functions, increased production of vasodilating substances like nitric oxide, reduced insulin resistance, and increased activity of lipolytic enzymes.
The study was the first to report improvements in ED, MeTS components, and PASI after a 12-week randomized controlled program of exercise and diet restriction in men with CPP, ED, and MeTS. The findings suggest that lifestyle modification programs could be an effective therapeutic approach for improving psoriasis severity and its associated comorbidities in men with obesity.
While the study's results were promising, the authors acknowledged that not comparing the effects of different types of calorie restriction diets on psoriasis severity and psoriasis-associated ED and MeTS was a limitation. They invited researchers to address this limitation in future studies to further advance the understanding of lifestyle interventions in managing these conditions.
The authors declared no competing interests.