[Susceptibility to atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as determined by carotid-femoral (aortic) pulse-wave velocity measurement].
OBJECTIVE
In this study we analyzed the susceptibility to atherosclerosis of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) by determining the femoral-carotid pulse wave velocity (PWV), which is a measure of the viscoelastic properties of blood vessels.


METHODS
The study included 25 patients with psoriasis (age 18-63 years; 13 male), of whom nine had arthritis, as well as 39 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects (age 24-70 years, 25 male). The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of all participants were recorded and, in patients, skin lesions were assessed using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Arterial distensibility was determined by automatic carotid-femoral PWV measurement using the Complior Colson device.


RESULTS
Mean PWV, SBP and DBP were significantly higher in psoriatic patients than in control subjects (P=.036, P< .001, and P=.005, respectively). In PsA patients, the mean WHR, SBP, DBP and PWV were all significantly higher than in control subjects (P=.001, P=.031, P=.001, and P=.014, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The carotid-femoral PWV is increased in patients with psoriasis and PsA.
Soy
Mehmet
M
Department of Internal Medicine-Rheumatology, Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey. msoy_2000@yahoo.com
Yildiz
Mustafa
M
Sevki Uyanik
Mehmet
M
Karaca
Nuran
N
Güfer
Gökhan
G
Piskin
Süleyman
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult