Retrospective Study on the Association of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease and Diabetes in Korean Psoriasis Patients

Lee, Sung Yul; Choi, Eung Ho

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Psoriasis is now considered as a medical condition that involves not only the skin, but also the other systemic organs. According to the recent studies, psoriasis, especially, the large plaque type, is suggested as a major risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. However, the prevalence of large plaque type psoriasis is relatively low, among the Asian patients, which leads to a lack of evidence in the population.
OBJECTIVE
This study is performed to evaluate the risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in psoriasis patients.
METHODS
After thorough research on the past medical records of the psoriasis patients in our institute, we could classify the four types of psoriasis as guttate psoriasis, small plaque type psoriasis, large plaque type psoriasis, and palmoplantar pustulosis. We enrolled 84 psoriasis patients and 100 dermatologically healthy adults. We divided them into two groups, the psoriasis group and the control group; we compared the prevalence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease between the groups. The psoriasis group was separately recorded by their types of psoriasis. We analyzed the inflammation marker and known risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, CRP, ESR, fasting glucose, history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension.
RESULTS
There was no noticeable difference between the types of psoriasis in all parameters. However, there were statistically significant differences between the psoriasis group and the control group in the parameters of ESR, CRP and prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
CONCLUSION
There was no difference in medical co-morbidities and their risk factors between the groups. However, in the psoriasis group, the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, which count as the risk factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, were higher than the normal control group. Therefore, we suggest that the psoriasis should be considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in Korea.