High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Chronic Plaque Psoriasis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis has recently been associated with systemic inflammation. Chronic skin inflammation leads to systemic inflammation, which triggers oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, endothelial dysfunction, and insulin resistance, increasing the risk of cardiovascular complications in these patients. Although the link between dyslipidemia and psoriasis has been demonstrated through various worldwide studies, dyslipidemia in psoriatic patients is frequently neglected and mistreated in daily practice. Furthermore, epidemiological studies have revealed that the life expectancy of patients with severe psoriasis is 3 to 5 years lower than that of non-psoriatic controls due to comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD). Consequently, many recent studies have stressed the importance of further screening laboratory markers for the early identification of cardiovascular risk factors and their follow-up. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to assess lipid profiles in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis to find cardiovascular disease risk factors and identify a possible association between the c risk score and plaque psoriasis severity. METHODS: We investigated the lipid profiles of 70 patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis (CPP) and 30 healthy individuals. The psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) was used to determine the severity of psoriasis. In addition, all patients completed Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. RESULTS: Elevated concentration of total serum cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and low concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was detected in psoriasis patients compared to controls. Above mentioned alterations were more prominent in female patients with severe psoriasis. CONCLUSIONS: Dyslipidemia is a common finding in patients with psoriasis and correlates with the severity of psoriasis. Lipid profiles should be a part of routine screening tests in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis for the early identification of dyslipidemia and the timely initiation of lipid-lowering treatment.