Psoriasis and metabolic syndrome: Co-incidence or correlation

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic skin disease having effects on other organs. It has been linked to diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia. All of these components ultimately increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular morbidities. Several studies have been done in the western world to identify the presence of metabolic syndrome (or its components) in psoriatic patients. Aims and Objectives: Our study had been done with the objective of identifying the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psoriatics in comparison to normal population. Materials and Methods: The study was an institution-based case-control study. Subjects were recruited after obtaining informed consent. Cases of psoriasis were diagnosed clinically, and unrelated healthy volunteers served as controls. Inclusion criteria for cases were patients of clinically diagnosed psoriasis without any co-existent immune-suppressed conditions such as HIV, malignancy, or any other physiological conditions such as pregnancy or lactation that might influence metabolic syndrome. Smokers and alcoholics were also excluded from the study. Metabolic syndrome was defined by Adult treatment panel III criteria. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics were expressed as range, mean ± standard deviation, frequencies (number of cases), and whichever was appropriate. For analytical statistics, numerical data were analyzed using t-test or ANOVA test, and for categorical data, Chi-square and Fischer′s exact test were used. P ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 2.6), hypertension (OR = 2.2), hyperglycemia (OR = 2.8), dyslipidemia (OR = 2.9), and metabolic syndrome (OR = 2.6) are associated with psoriasis. Conclusion: Psoriatic patients have an increased risk of developing abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia in comparison to general population. All these contribute to higher preponderance to metabolic syndrome.

Keywords

• Diabetes mellitus
• dyslipidemia
• hypertension
• metabolic syndrome
• obesity
• psoriasis