Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with psoriasis: A hospital-based case control study from a tertiary care center in Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of skin and joints affecting 1-3% of the population. Psoriasis may act as an external indicator of underlying immunological and metabolic dysregulation. Previous studies found higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with psoriasis, the former being a significant predictor of cardiovascular disease. Aims: We aimed to study the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its individual components in patients with psoriasis and to determine the relationship of disease duration and severity with metabolic syndrome. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based comparative study was conducted involving 100 patients with psoriasis and 100 age- and sex-matched controls. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed by the presence of three or more criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Panel III (ATP III). Statistical analysis of the data was done using statistical processing software (SPSS 17). Results: Metabolic syndrome was significantly more common among patients with psoriasis than among controls [42% vs 22%, odds ratio (OR) = 2.5674, P Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome is more common in patients with psoriasis than in the general population. As most of the studies from India as well as the rest of the world are proving this association, psoriasis can be considered as one of the markers of metabolic syndrome.