Psoriasis and cardiovascular disease risk factors: the HUNT Study, Norway

BACKGROUND: Studies have examined the associations between psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors, but the results are conflicting, especially in the general population. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of psoriasis, and in particular psoriasis severity, with objectively measured cardiovascular disease risk factors and cardiovascular morbidity in a large population-based cross-sectional study. METHODS: We linked data on 50 245 persons in the HUNT3 Study, Norway, with information from the National Prescription Database to obtain information on use of psoriasis medication. A total of 2894 persons reported to have psoriasis; 2643 were classified as mild; and 251 as moderate/severe psoriasis. We used linear and logistic regression to estimate adjusted associations with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease risk factors and morbidity. RESULTS: We observed a positive association between psoriasis and objective measures of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, but no clear association with blood pressure and blood lipids. People with moderate/severe psoriasis had an odds ratio for being overweight of 1.94 (95% CI 1.42, 2.67), whereas the odds ratio for metabolic syndrome was 1.91 (95% CI 1.47, 2.49). Psoriasis was also positively associated with self-reported diabetes, myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study, we found that psoriasis was positively associated with measures of adiposity, as well as with a clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Overall, these associations were strongest for people with moderate/severe psoriasis.