Psoriasis is associated with increased intima-media thickness--the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP).
BACKGROUND
Psoriasis has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, but its relationship to markers of subclinical atherosclerosis has not been fully elucidated. The aim of the study is to analyze the association of psoriasis with common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) and plaque prevalence of the carotid arteries.


METHODS
Data of 1987 men and women aged 25-88 years from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) in north-eastern Germany were used. Cross-sectional associations of psoriasis with IMT and carotid plaque prevalence were analyzed using linear and logistic regression models adjusted for relevant confounders (age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, waist circumference, physical activity, systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertensive medication, acetylsalicylic acid, HbA(1c), total/HDL cholesterol ratio, lipid-lowering medication).


RESULTS
Psoriasis was associated with mean CCA-IMT, but not with carotid plaque prevalence. Comparisons between subjects with and without psoriasis showed an adjusted mean difference of the CCA-IMT of 0.016 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.004 mm-0.028 mm, p < 0.01) and an odds ratio for plaque prevalence of 1.12 (95% CI: 0.85-1.47) after adjusting for confounders.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that psoriasis is associated with increased carotid mean IMT and might therefore contribute to the atherosclerotic process and subsequent cardiovascular events.
Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Germany. paulina.troitzsch@uni-greifswald.de
Paulina
P
Troitzsch
Marcello Ricardo
MR
Paulista Markus
Marcus
M
Dörr
Stephan B
SB
Felix
Michael
M
Jünger
Ulf
U
Schminke
Carsten-Oliver
CO
Schmidt
Henry
H
Völzke
Sebastian E
SE
Baumeister
Andreas
A
Arnold
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors