A SIMPLE text-messaging programme may help improve cardiovascular risk self-management in people with psoriasis, according to a randomised clinical trial.
Psoriasis Linked to Elevated Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Researchers evaluated whether a 6-month lifestyle-focused text intervention could improve patient activation and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with psoriasis, a population known to have elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
The single-centre study was conducted at a tertiary dermatology clinic in Australia between February 2024 and February 2025. A total of 111 adults with dermatologist-confirmed psoriasis were randomised 1:1 to receive either usual care or the Tobacco, Exercise, and Diet Messages for Psoriasis (TEXTME PSO) intervention, which delivered four text messages per week over 6 months.
The primary endpoint was change in Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13) score, which assesses an individual’s knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing their health. Secondary outcomes included Mediterranean diet adherence, physical activity, cardiometabolic measures, psoriasis-CVD knowledge, medication adherence, psoriasis severity, and quality of life.
At 6 months, participants receiving the text-messaging intervention demonstrated significantly greater improvement in PAM-13 scores compared with controls, with an adjusted mean difference of 10.8 points (95% CI, 7.0–14.6; P<0.001).
Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Exercise Increased
The intervention group also showed significant gains in several behavioural outcomes. Mediterranean diet adherence improved by 1.7 points, medication adherence by 1.6 points, and psoriasis-CVD knowledge by 6.6 points compared with standard care (all P<0.001). Weekly physical activity increased by nearly 128 minutes, while body mass index fell by 1.0 point.
However, the intervention did not significantly affect lipid levels, haemoglobin A1c, smoking behaviour, psoriasis severity, or dermatology-related quality of life.
The investigators noted that while biomarker changes were modest, the findings support the use of scalable digital tools to complement cardiovascular prevention strategies within dermatology care.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality in patients with psoriasis, yet structured prevention programmes are not routinely integrated into dermatology practice. The authors suggest that low-intensity mobile health interventions such as TEXTME PSO may offer a practical adjunct to improve long-term self-management and awareness of cardiovascular risk in this population.
Reference
Smith A et al. Text messaging for cardiovascular risk prevention in psoriasis: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2026; DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2026.1070.
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