Frequency of metabolic syndrome in patient with chronic urticaria

Urticaria is a chronic dermatological disease which is common, leads to erythema and pruritus as well as papules and plaque formations and associated with episodic aggravation. Many factors are considered for the etiopathogenesis of the disease, including infections, drugs, environmental factors and physical stimulants. In the study, we aimed to investigate the relation between the chronic form of the urticaria and the frequency of metabolic syndrome. The study was conducted with totally 100 patients, including 50 patients with chronic urticaria and 50 patients with any dermatological disease other than chronic urticaria, who applied to the outpatient clinic of Dermatology and Venereal Diseases Department, School of Medicine, Abant İzzel Baysal University from April 2012 to September 2012. The patients with following conditions were excluded; endocrinological disease which may lead to obesity, such as Cushing syndrome, and medications possibly resulting with insulin resistance, pregnancy and secondary hypertension. Waist circumference, height, weight and arterial blood pressure of all patients were measured and fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL and LDL values were analyzed. Diagnostic criteria of International Diabetes Federation were used for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. In the current study, frequency of MS did not differ between subjects with chronic urticaria and control subjects. Considering metabolic parameters, no statistically significant difference was found, excluding HDL. In conclusion, no difference was found between subjects with chronic urticaria (30%) and control subjects (30 %) with respect to frequency of MS in the current study. It is concluded that the chronic urticaria is not a condition which increases frequency of metabolic syndrome.