Text Messaging Intervention Improves Cardiovascular Risk Behaviors in PsO Trial

A structured text messaging intervention was shown to improve patient activation and several cardiovascular risk behaviors among adults with psoriasis, according to new findings published in JAMA Dermatology.

Patients with psoriasis face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of mortality in this population, yet structured cardiovascular prevention remains uncommon in routine dermatology practice. Investigators evaluated whether a six-month mobile health intervention could improve patient engagement and cardiovascular risk factors.

Digital Intervention Supports Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Psoriasis

Investigators for the single-center, parallel-group trial enrolled 111 adults with confirmed psoriasis (mean age, 51.8 years; 65.1% male) who were randomized to receive either the Tobacco, Exercise, and Diet Messages for Psoriasis (TEXTME PSO) program, consisting of four text messages per week for six months, or standard care. The primary study endpoint was patient activation, measured using the 13-item Patient Activation Measure.

Compared with standard care, participants receiving the intervention demonstrated significantly greater improvement in patient activation (adjusted mean difference, 10.8 points; 95% CI, 7.0-14.6; P < 0.001). Mediterranean diet adherence improved (adjusted mean difference, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.4; P < 0.001), as did medication adherence (adjusted mean difference, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.8 to 2.5; P < 0.001) and psoriasis-CVD knowledge (adjusted mean difference, 6.6; 95% CI, 4.7 to 8.4; P < 0.001). Weekly physical activity increased by nearly 128 minutes (adjusted mean difference, 127.9 minutes; 95% CI, 21.9 to 234.0; P = 0.02), while body mass index decreased by 1.0 kg/m² (95% CI, −1.4 to −0.7; P < 0.001).

However, investigators found no statistically significant between-group differences in lipid parameters, hemoglobin A1c, smoking behavior, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores, or Dermatology Life Quality Index scores. Study limitations include its single-center design, relatively small sample size, and the short length (6 months) of follow-up.

"In this randomized clinical trial, a text-messaging intervention improved patient activation and cardiovascular risk behaviors in adults with psoriasis," the authors wrote. "While biomarker changes were modest or not statistically significant, findings support digital tools as an adjunct to cardiovascular risk in dermatology care."¹

Source

Smith A, et al. JAMA Dermatology. 2026. Doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2026.1070