title: Increased risk of arrhythmia in patients with psoriatic disease: A nationwide population-based matched cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the association between psoriasis and arrhythmia has not been adequately studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to investigate whether patients with psoriasis have an increased risk of arrhythmia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This population-based cohort study identified 40,637 patients with psoriasis and 162,548 subjects without psoriasis matched by age, sex, history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database during 2004 through 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for medical history and medication use, patients with psoriasis were at increased risk of overall arrhythmia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-1.39). The risks of arrhythmia were higher in all subgroups, including patients with severe (aHR 1.25; 95% CI 1.12-1.39) and mild (aHR 1.35; 95% CI 1.30-1.41) psoriasis, and in patients with (aHR 1.46; 95% CI 1.22-1.74) and without (aHR 1.33; 95% CI 1.28-1.39) psoriatic arthritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The National Health Insurance Research Database did not contain information regarding Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, cigarette smoking, or alcohol consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with psoriasis were at higher risk of developing arrhythmia, particularly for those with psoriatic arthritis, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan; Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsien-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Lun
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Weng-Foung
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: tftsai@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tsen-Fang
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D013624:Taiwan
keywords: National Health Insurance Research Database; arrhythmia; cardiovascular diseases; ischemic heart disease; psoriasis; psoriatic arthritis; stroke