title: High prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriatic arthritis patients: a study based on carotid ultrasound.
abstract: Analyse the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriatic arthritis patients (PsA). A cross-sectional study of 53 patients with PsA and 53 controls matched for age and sex was designed. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and the presence of carotid plaques (CP) were assessed with carotid ultrasound. Data on cardiovascular (CV) risk factors were collected. Patients with PsA had a higher prevalence rate of obesity and tobacco smoking. CP were detected more frequently in patients with PsA than in controls with an OR of 4.15, 95% CI 1.4-12.1, which adjusted for smoking and those with history of CV disease gave an OR of 3.9, 95% CI 1.2-12.7, p = 0.026. Carotid IMT was significantly higher in patients with PsA adjusted for age and tobacco smoking. According to ultrasound data, 30.2% of patients with PsA had carotid atherosclerosis (presence of CP and/or carotid IMT > 0.90 mm) compared with 9.4% of controls. The SCORE index (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation) underestimated the CV risk in these patients: most patients with CP had an intermediate CV risk. According to carotid ultrasound data, PsA patients have a high prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis. These results support the importance of screening for CV risk and to include carotid ultrasound in CV prevention strategies in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. rosa50000@yahoo.es.|, Elizagaina 14, 31172, Eguillor, Spain. rosa50000@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7886-5459
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ibáñez-Bosch
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Restrepo-Velez
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medina-Malone
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garrido-Courel
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paniagua-Zudaire
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Loza-Cortina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Carotid ultrasound; Psoriatic arthritis