title: Cardiovascular risk markers in patients with psoriatic arthritis: A meta-analysis of literature studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies reported an increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We performed a meta-analysis on the impact of PsA on major markers of CV risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies on the relationship between PsA and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), prevalence of carotid plaques, flow-mediated dilation (FMD), nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD), pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx), and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were systematically searched in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE databases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen case-control studies (898 cases, 1,140 controls) were included. Compared to controls, PsA patients showed a higher CCA-IMT (MD 0.07 mm; 95% CI 0.04, 0.11; P < 0.0001), and a higher frequency of carotid plaques (OR 3.12; 95% CI 1.03, 9.39; P = 0.04). Moreover, a lower FMD was found in PsA subjects than in controls (MD -2.56%; 95% CI -4.17, -0.94; P = 0.002), with no differences in NMD (MD -0.40%; 95% CI -1.19, 0.39; P = 0.32). Because of the low number of studies, no meta- analytical evaluation was performed for PWV, AIx, and ABI. Despite heterogeneity among studies, PsA appears significantly associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and CV risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings could help to establish more specific CV prevention strategies in this clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cell and Molecular Biology in Cardiovascular Diseases, Centro Cardiologico Monzino , IRCCS, Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo Nicola Dario
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Di Minno
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ambrosino
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lupoli
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Minno
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tasso
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peluso
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tremoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Carotid plaques; flow-mediated dilation; intima-media thickness; psoriatic arthritis; subclinical atherosclerosis