title: Psoriasis and increased prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease and associated with other diseases such as cardiovascular, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to explore the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in psoriatic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 2008 and May 2010, a total of 304 psoriatic and 300 nonpsoriatic patients were enrolled in this cross sectional study. Data were obtained on age, sex, weight, heights, etc; documented medical history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension; family history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in first relatives, history of smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in age and gender distribution between two groups. There was also no difference in body mass index between two groups. Within psoriatic group, 79.3% of patients present with plaque type of the disease and 20.7% present with other types. The results showed that within psoriatic patients, the prevalence of diabetes in women is significantly higher than in men (OR=1.93, CI95%: 1.1-3.6, P=0.004) but this difference is not present in nonpsoriatic patients. The results also showed that the prevalence of diabetes in psoriatic patients is significantly higher than nonpsoriatic patients (OR=1.76, CI95%: 1.11-2.8, P=0.015). The data showed that psoriatic patients were more likely to develop hypertension compared with nonpsoriatic patients (OR=2.2, CI95%: 1.2-4.6, P=0.003). According to results, although smoking rate within psoriatic patients is higher than the other group but the difference was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psoriatic patients have an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome and hypertension in comparison to nonpsoriatic patients.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Razi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Maryam
authors: M
authors: Ghiasi
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Nouri
authors: Ata
authors: A
authors: Abbasi
authors: Parvaneh
authors: P
authors: Hatami
authors: Mohammad Amin
authors: MA
authors: Abbasi
authors: Keramat
authors: K
authors: Nourijelyani