Subclinical cardiac organ damage in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis treated with infliximab

Abstract

Abstract Background Psoriasis is an immune mediated disease that has been associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Comorbidities, psoriasis treatment and presence of subclinical cardiac organ damage can modulate CV risk in psoriasis. Purpose To assess the prevalence and covariables of subclinical cardiac organ damage in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis on infliximab treatment. Methods Echocardiography was performed in 53 psoriasis patients (age 47±15 years, 30% women) and 99 control subjects (age 47±11 years, 28% women). Subclinical cardiac organ damage was defined as presence of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, concentric LV geometry and/or dilated left atrium. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) was used to assess the severity of psoriasis. Hypertension was defined as use of antihypertensive medication/history of hypertension and/or elevated ambulatory blood pressure ≥130/80 mmHg. Results Hypertension was the most common comorbidity, present in 66% of patients and 61% of control subjects (p=0.54). Smoking was more prevalent in psoriasis patients than controls (37% vs 17%, p=0.005), while other CV risk factors and antihypertensive treatment did not differ between groups. Subclinical cardiac organ damage was less prevalent in psoriasis patients than controls (51% vs. 73%, p=0.007, Figure). In the total study cohort, having psoriasis was associated with lower prevalence of subclinical cardiac organ damage independent of hypertension, smoking, age and sex (odds ratio [OR] 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13–0.72, p=0.007) in logistic regression analysis. Among psoriasis patients, hypertension was associated with a near seven-fold increased risk of cardiac organ damage (OR 6.88 [95% CI 1.32–35.98], p=0.022) independent of age, sex and body mass index. PASI at start of treatment or current PASI was not associated with presence of subclinical cardiac organ damage. Conclusion Psoriasis patients on infliximab treatment had less subclinical cardiac organ damage compared with controls, suggesting that inhibition of CV inflammation may attenuate cardiac organ damage in psoriasis. Hypertension was the strongest covariable for subclinical cardiac organ damage in psoriasis patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by the Western and South-Eastern Regional Health Authorities of Norway and Hjertefondet, University of Bergen.