A recent study suggests that people carrying excess weight or suffering from type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop the skin condition psoriasis. According to a report from UPI, the risk of developing the skin condition was almost 50 percent higher in people with type 2 diabetes.

The study also showed that people with a body mass index of over 35 had nearly twice the risk of developing psoriasis than people of a normal weight. BMI is a measurement that takes height and weight into account and is used to determine a person’s risk of becoming obese.

Scientists say they aren’t sure exactly why this link exists, but the research team also considered variables such as genetics, smoking, alcohol consumption, and other sources of inflammation to describe the connection.

According to the study’s lead author Dr. Ann Sophie Lonnberg from the University of Copenhagen, “Psoriasis is a complex disorder. The genetic background for the disease and its many comorbidities (co-existing conditions) have not yet fully been uncovered.”

While the study did not reveal the exact mechanisms by which type 2 diabetes, obesity and psoriasis are related, the data did paint a clear association between excess weight and metabolic disorders and the prevalence of the skin condition. Because both being overweight and psoriasis are influenced by genetic factors, researchers believe the answer may lie in finding a common gene in people who suffer from both conditions.

“The reason psoriasis and obesity are associated is not only due to a common lifestyle, but they are also associated due to common genes,” said Lonnberg. “It is important to treat psoriasis and obesity and diabetes, since they are risk factors for heart disease and could have serious effects on overall health.”

A press release from the JAMA Network describing the details of the study can be found here.