Cardiovascular Risk in Psoriasis Patients: Clinical, Functional and Morphological Parameters

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis correlates with metabolic disorders, early atheromatosis and increased cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVES: To assess markers of cardiovascular disease in psoriatic patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional, observational study involving 11 psoriatic participants and 33 controls. Anthropometric, biochemical, hemodynamic and imaging parameters were evaluated. Arterial stiffness was assessed by oscillometric measurement of the brachial artery. Intima-media thickness (IMT) and left ventricular diastolic function were assessed by Doppler echography and echocardiography. Between-group comparisons of numerical variables were performed by the Student’s t-test or Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney test for independent samples. Significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: Psoriatic patients showed increased pulse wave velocity (PWV) (9.1 ± 1.8 vs 8.0 ± 2 m/s, p = 0.033), IMT of the left common carotid artery (p = 0.018) and a higher percentage of patients above the 75(th) percentile according to the ELSA table when compared with controls (54.5 vs 18.2%, p = 0.045). Psoriatic patients also showed an increase in peripheral/central systolic blood pressure (137.1 ± 13.2 vs 122.3 ± 11.6 mmHg, p = 0.004)/(127 ± 13 vs 112.5 ± 10.4 mmHg, p = 0.005), peripheral/central diastolic blood pressure (89.9 ± 8.9 vs 82.2 ± 8, p = 0.022)/(91 ± 9.3 vs 82.2 ± 8.3, p = 0.014), total cholesterol (252 ± 43.5 vs 198 ± 39.8 mg/dL, p < 0.001), LDL cholesterol (167 ± 24 vs 118 ± 40.8 mg/dL, p < 0.001) and C-reactive protein (7.6 ± 35.4 vs 1 ± 1.2 mg/L p < 0.001) compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Psoriasis patients show increased PWV, IMT, peripheral and central blood pressures, and serum cholesterol and C-reactive protein levels, denoting a higher cardiovascular risk.