Evaluation of arterial stiffness in patients with psoriasis vulgaris

Abstract

Background and Design: This study aimed to compare neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), epicardial fat tissue (EFT), and arterial stiffness values of psoriatic patients with healthy subjects and to determine the relation of these parameters with the severity of psoriasis. Materials and Methods: This study included 102 patients with psoriasis and 102 control subjects matched according to age and gender. CIMT, echocardiographic EFT, arterial stiffness [aortic stiffness index (ASI) and aortic distensibility], anthropometric measurements, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score, and metabolic parameters were measured in all patients. Results: The mean NLR in the psoriasis group were significantly higher than in the healthy group (2.3±0.74 vs 1.49±0.36; p<0.01). Additionally, CIMT (0.95±0.25 vs 0.57±0.13 mm; p<0.01), EFT (0.77±0.23 vs 0.42±0.12 cm; p<0.01), and ASI (3.21±0.37 vs 2.55±0.28; p<0.01) were significantly increased in patients with psoriasis than control subjects. Also, NLR was shown to be higher among psoriatic patients with PASI of ≥10. NLR was not correlated with CIMT, EFT, and ASI in psoriatic patients. Among psoriatic patients, ASI and EFT were positively correlated with age, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, and uric acid, whereas CIMT was positively correlated with age and waist circumference (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusion: We found that psoriatic patients had higher atherosclerotic burden than healthy subjects and NLR had a stronger relation with the severity of psoriasis.

Keywords

• arterial stiffness
• carotid intima-media thickness
• epicardial fat tissue
• neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio
• psoriasis vulgaris