Weight-Loss Interventions Improve Psoriasis Severity and Quality of Life, Meta-Analysis Finds

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis found that weight loss interventions significantly improve both the severity of psoriasis and the dermatology-specific quality of life for individuals with overweight or obesity. The findings, derived from a rigorous analysis of randomized controlled trials, provide high-certainty evidence that weight management should be considered an important adjunct to routine psoriasis treatment.¹

Approximately 80% of the 60 million individuals worldwide with psoriasis have overweight or obesity, researchers wrote in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venerology. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that excess weight is associated with increased psoriasis severity, a worsened quality of life, and a reduced response to systemic therapies. Despite clinical guidelines recommending weight management, clinicians often hesitate to address the topic with patients due to time constraints, limited expertise, and concerns about rapport.^1,2

“Previous systematic reviews show that behavioural weight-loss interventions, typically low-energy diets, result in greater weight loss and improvements in psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) than standard care for people with psoriasis,” investigators wrote. “However, no reviews have considered the full range of weight-loss interventions, such as surgery and pharmacotherapy, or had insufficient data to meta-analyse important patient-reported outcomes such as dermatology life quality index (DLQI).”¹

Researchers performed a systematic review of randomized trials that evaluated weight-loss interviews among adults with psoriasis, searching five databases and two trial registries, then conducted a meta-analysis of outcomes for psoriasis severity and dermatology-specific quality of life. The review included 13 randomized controlled trials and 14 comparisons, which included 1145 patients. Eleven of the recommended weight-loss interventions were dietary programs, 4 of which included exercise, and three of the interventions were weight-loss medications, including GLP-1 receptor agonists.¹

Across the studies, participants who participated in weight-loss interventions lost 6g to 7 kg more body weight compared with those who did not, according to the results. Weight-loss interventions conferred a greater reduction in PASI compared with controls (mean difference, –2.5; 95% CI, –3.8 to –1.1). Participants assigned to weight-loss interventions were 1.6 times more likely to achieve a 75% improvement in their PASI (95% CI, 1.1-2.2), investigators added.¹

In addition, weight-loss interventions improved patient quality of life. Results showed that participants assigned to weight-loss interventions reported better DLQI scores compared with those not assigned to weight-loss interventions (mean difference, –5; 95% CI, –9.7 to –0.3).¹

“These findings support the integration of weight-loss interventions, as an adjunct to medical care, into routine psoriasis management and highlight the importance of addressing lifestyle alongside more traditional treatment modalities,” investigators wrote.¹

The authors concluded that future research is needed to understand how best to implement these findings in real-world clinical settings, including both dermatology and primary care practices.¹

References:

1. Morrow S, Hawkins P, Griffiths CEM, et al. Impact of weight-loss interventions on psoriasis severity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. Published online December 19, 2025. doi:10.1111/jdv.70247
2. Hajizadeh A, Heath L, Ahmad A, et al. Clinician resistance to broaching the topic of weight in primary care: Digging deeper into weight management using strong structuration theory. Soc Sci Med. 2023;329:115997. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115997