February 14, 2025 – Alexandria, Virginia
The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is pleased to announce an anonymous gift of up to 1 million dollars that will strengthen NPF’s approach to preventing cardiovascular disease in individuals with psoriasis.
Because individuals living with psoriasis are at a significantly increased risk for heart disease like stroke and heart attack, NPF spent the last half decade funding research exploring methods of prevention and risk reduction.
This transformational new gift directly supports the Psoriasis Prevention Initiative and a key study within the initiative, the “Prevention of cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.” This is a multi-institutional effort led by Joel M. Gelfand, M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and inclusive of a team of experts in the fields of dermatology, rheumatology, cardiology and implementation science. With this anonymous gift, NPF can accelerate and bolster the cardiovascular disease prevention efforts of these expert investigators to help people with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis live full, healthy lives.
“In only a few years we’ve dramatically improved our understanding of the association between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease. It has already improved the lives of many individuals with psoriatic disease. This incredibly generous gift from a longtime NPF supporter allows us to expand our life saving efforts,” says Guy Eakin, Ph.D., NPF Chief Scientific and Medical Officer. “The better our researchers are able to understand the role of psoriatic disease and systemic inflammation in the development of cardiovascular disease, the more people we can help with new treatments and interventions.”
“This donor’s generosity is going to save lives. At NPF, we are working relentlessly to create a life free from the burdens of psoriatic disease, and there is no greater burden than a shortened lifespan. We have committed more than $5 million to address these issues, the single largest investment NPF has made to date. Now, this gift helps us enhance our impact,” says Leah M. Howard, J.D., President and CEO of NPF. “Cardiovascular disease is a terrifying prospect for anyone. It’s incredibly unfair that people with severe psoriasis are at such an elevated risk for these life altering or life-ending events. It’s our job to extinguish that fear.”
According to the NPF Psoriasis Health Indicator Report, compared to the general population, individuals with psoriasis experience a:
• 46% increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality
• 17% increased risk of myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
• 19% increased risk of stroke
On behalf of the community of people impacted by psoriatic disease, NPF shares their sincerest appreciation for this generous gift and the impact it will have on the community.
About the National Psoriasis Foundation
The National Psoriasis Foundation has served the community of people impacted by psoriatic disease since 1967 with patient support, advocacy, research, and education. The mission of NPF is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of more than 8 million individuals in the United States affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. Learn more at psoriasis.org.