Metabolic Diseases and Associated Complications in Patients with Psoriasis

Psoriasis patients are at increased risk of developing metabolic diseases. Proinflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-α,IGF that are increased in psoriasis play an important role in the development of diabetes mellitus(DM), hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance and their complications.

To study prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) using HOMA-IR index in psoriasis patients and its association with severity of psoriasis. To study prevalence of metabolic diseases, macro and microvascular complications of these diseases in psoriasis.

A hospital based case control study was conducted involving 102 psoriasis patients and 102 age and sex matched controls. All patients were analysed for the presence of metabolic diseases and their complications.

Mean age of cases was 38.41±16.37 years. Majority of cases(58.8%) as well as controls (55.9%) were males. Prevalence of hypertension, prediabetes, DM, raised TG, low HDL, MetS and IR was 46.1%, 28.4%, 27.5%, 42.2%, 31.4%, 31.4% and 48% respectively in cases as compared to 26.5%, 13.7%, 11.8%, 24.3%, 16.7%, 10.8% and 26.5% respectively in controls. However there was no significant difference in obesity (29.4% vs 21.6%, p=0.2024) and LDL among the cases and controls(14.7 %vs 10.8%,p= 0.4). Prevalence of all the metabolic disorders except LDL was significantly higher in cases as compared to that in controls. Prominent complications noted were retinopathy, neuropathy and CVD. With increased psoriasis severity insulin resistance increased.

There is a positive correlation of psoriasis with IR and it is associated with increased risk of metabolic diseases and their complications.