Researchers at the Medical University of Lodz accessed the prevalence of metabolic syndrome characteristics in patients with psoriasis, and how such abnormalities affect the disease activity.
The findings suggest higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome characteristics in patients with psoriasis than in the general population, a clinical interest for the identification of biomarkers related to comorbidities (additional diseases) of psoriasis and metabolic syndrome
The research paper, “Presence of selected metabolic syndrome components in patients with psoriasis vulgaris,” was published in Advances in Dermatology and Allergology.
Metabolic syndrome is defined as the co-occurrence of biochemical process disorders that raise the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Clinical observation and different research studies have found that metabolic syndrome and abdominal obesity are more common in patients with psoriasis, a disease that not only affects skin but can also damage internal organs. In fact, obesity is a known risk factor for psoriasis.
In the present study, researchers measured several anthropometric and laboratory measures, such as waist circumference, weight, height, the lipid and glucose levels of 108 females and 138 males with chronic plaque psoriasis, and then compared the numbers to 75 healthy participants.
The results showed that increasing psoriasis severity correlates with increasing body mass index (BMI); more so among men than women. Furthermore, excess of body fat seemed to be a risk factor of psoriasis as well as metabolic syndrome.
The association between long-term hypertension and increased risk of psoriasis remains controversial. In the recent study, the scientists observed that patients with severe psoriasis are at higher risk of hypertension than those with mild psoriasis.
Researchers believe the findings suggest a higher prevalence of core metabolic syndrome components in patients with psoriasis.
According to the study conclusion, the identification of biomarkers related to comorbidities in psoriasis and metabolic syndrome should be considered when dealing with patients in clinical settings. For instance, a dermatologist treating psoriasis should be aware of the possible association between psoriasis and metabolic disorders such as hypertension, dyslipidemia or insulin resistance.
