title: Cardiovascular risk in psoriatic arthritis - a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aims to estimate long term cardiovascular risk in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients and to identify clinical and/or laboratory features which influence this risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PsA group included 44 males and 59 females (p = 0.167) with an average age of 52 years (23-80). SCORE was significantly correlated with age of onset, BMI, triglycerides, FPG. Among these patients, males, smokers, those with axial involvement, with IHT, with AHT and those not treated with glucocorticoids had a significantly higher SCORE. The subgroup of 56 PsA women, age-matched with 56 normal women, had a significantly higher SCORE, even after controlling for covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiovascular risk of PsA patients estimated on SCORE charts correlates with metabolic clinical and laboratory features and is associated with classical cardiovascular risk factors. The axial involvement in PsA is associated with a higher cardiovascular risk when compared to non-axial PsA. Women with PsA have a higher cardiovascular risk than normal women, which sustains the opinion that PsA may be considered an independent cardiovascular risk factor.
authors.affiliation: "Sfanta Maria" Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania ; Department of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Claudiu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pintilie
authors.affiliation: "Sfanta Maria" Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania ; Department of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Violeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bojinca
authors.affiliation: "Sfanta Maria" Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania ; Department of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Andra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balanescu
authors.affiliation: "Sfanta Maria" Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania ; Department of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Ruxandra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ionescu
keywords: SCORE; cardiovascular risk; psoriatic arthritis