title: Prevalence of obesity in paediatric psoriasis and its impact on disease severity and progression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current literature suggests there is a possible connection between paediatric psoriasis and obesity. However, there is a paucity of research on the influence of increased adiposity on the severity of paediatric psoriasis and disease progression. We aimed to compare the prevalence of being overweight or obese in paediatric psoriasis patients and controls and assess the potential impact of being overweight/obese on disease severity and progression of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  This multicentre prospective case-control study included 289 psoriasis patients (aged < 18 years) treated and followed up by one of the four university hospitals in Turkey. The control group consisted of 151 consecutive age-matched and sex-matched children who lacked a personal or family history of psoriasis. The participants' characteristics, psoriasis-related parametres (e.g., initial subtype, psoriasis area and severity index, presence of psoriatic arthritis) and body mass index were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The difference between the prevalence of being overweight/obese among psoriatics (28%) and the control group (19%) was significant (P = 0.024). Being overweight/obese had no significant impact on disease severity and unresponsiveness to topical treatment. Within a median follow-up time of 12 months, 23% of our patients with localised disease at disease onset progressed to generalised disease. The impact of being overweight/obese on disease progression was found to be non-significant; however, disease duration was found to have a significant impact on disease progression (P = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although it is not associated with disease severity and course, increased bodyweight may be a health problem for psoriatic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tulin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ergun
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seckin Gencosmanoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Allergy and Immunology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karakoc-Aydiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Andac
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salman
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tekin
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Uludağ University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bulbul-Baskan
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alpsoy
authors.affiliation: Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cakıroglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Bezm-i Alem University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nahide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onsun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: disease progression; disease severity; obesity; paediatric psoriasis