Many Voices, One Mission: Nehal N. Mehta

A look at the many contributions of a self-proclaimed lover of lipids.

March 02, 2023

On April 29, 2023, hundreds of members of the community impacted by psoriatic disease will gather at the Commit to Cure Gala: Many Voices, One Mission in Washington D.C.

They will honor the leadership and contributions of Nehal N. Mehta, M.D., MSCE, FAHA, Abby S. Van Voorhees, M.D., and Sam Litchen, a National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) youth ambassador.

In preparation for this annual fundraising event, let’s look back on some of the stories each of the honorees have shared with NPF in the past. First up, we’ll revisit the stories, articles, and podcasts with which Dr. Mehta has been kind enough to assist NPF over the years.

How NPF Empowers Psoriatic Disease Researchers

March 2020 | By Steve Bieler | Read the article

As the world we once knew began to change forever in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this upbeat and informative story stood in stark contrast to the environment. In it, Bieler, a now-retired NPF staff writer, found both a great story and an incredibly interesting character.

Dr. Mehta’s sense of humor and enthusiasm really leaped off the page with quotes like this one, about meeting Joel M. Gelfand, M.D., after a conference at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

“We spent the day talking about oxidation of lipids and coronary disease. Very cool. Like the coolest thing you could talk about,” Mehta says. “We had them on the edge of their seats!”

The collaborations that have come from this fortuitous meeting between Drs. Gelfand and Mehta are still paying dividends for this community as these two lead the "Prevention of cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (CP3)” investigation funded by NPF through the Psoriasis Prevention Initiative grant mechanism.

Recent Advance Articles

Many Voices, One Mission: Nehal N. Mehta

Public Health and Psoriatic Disease

Biosimilars

Psoriatic Disease Affects More Than Skin and Joints

February 2021 | By Emily Delzell | Read the article

One of Dr. Mehta’s gifts to this community is his ability to make complex subjects like systemic inflammation easy to understand for lay readers. In this article, Delzell, a freelance writer, spoke with several prominent experts in psoriatic disease about the underlying inflammation associated with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis that can lead to comorbidities like metabolic disease, heart disease, depression, and anxiety.

In only a few sentences, Dr. Mehta was able to shed light on some basics of inflammation. “Inflammation is simply a collection of immune cells trying to put out a fire, and that fire is usually an infection or some sort of virus,” says Dr. Mehta in this early 2021 article.

“In psoriasis, immune cells attack places they shouldn’t,” he adds. “They go to the skin and cause psoriatic plaques, but they can also go to the joints and cause psoriatic arthritis. When they infiltrate blood vessels of the heart, they inflame the cells that line blood vessels. These fill with immune cells that don’t belong there and cause inflammation. That’s the beginning of cardiovascular disease.”

Of course, he doesn’t stop with information and education, he also shares words of encouragement and wisdom. “Many of these comorbid conditions can be reversed by treating psoriasis and making the right lifestyle changes,” says Dr. Mehta. “I tell my patients, ‘Each day, please do one thing for your psoriasis, one thing for your mind, and one thing for your body.’”

Read, Watch, or Listen

This was only a small sampling of the articles and educational materials where Dr. Mehta generously shared his time and knowledge. Podcast listeners will be happy to know they can hear straight from Dr. Mehta by listening to any one of the many episodes on which he has been a guest.

As detailed as the list below is, we couldn’t possibly encapsulate the impact Dr. Mehta has on this community and on NPF as an organization.

Read, watch, or listen to more from Dr. Mehta below, and remember, you can make a gift in honor of him and all the leaders who raise their voices for this community.

Listen: Psound Bytes™ Podcast

Episode 171: The Active Role of Adipokines in Psoriasis and Inflammation
Episode 56: Heart 'Beats' about Cardiovascular and Psoriatic Disease
Episode 7: Heart and Psoriatic Disease Connection

Read: Systemic Inflammation and Psoriatic Disease

Watch: The Latest on Heart Health and Psoriatic Disease

Psoriasis and Cardiometabolic Diseases: Update 2021

Raise Your Voice

Inspired? You can give today in honor of all Dr. Mehta has done for this community.

Give today

Author

Matt Werbach

Title

Associate Director, Media and Communications