Evaluation of increased atherosclerosis risk at psoriasis by measurement of carotid intima media thickness and pulse wave velocity

Psoriasis is a repetitive chronic inflammatory skin disease occuring due to effects of genetical and enviromental factors. Underlying inflammatory process at people with psoriasis increases the risk of atherosclerosis, aside from an increase at the incidences of hypertension, diyabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and obesity. Because of increased cardivovascular morbidity and mortality at psoriasis, examination of psoriatic patients with noninvasive tests has great importance in terms of preventing future atherosclerotic complications. At this study, the relation of psoriasis and atherosclerosis as examined by measuring carotis intima media thickness and pulse wave velocity. Eighty one patients with chronic plaqur psoriasis with no proven atherosclerosis or any conventional risk factos for atherosclerosis and 79 healthy volunteers with no systemical disease were enrolled to the study. Patients with proven systemical disease other than atherosclerosis, hyoertension, diyabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and psoriasis were excluded. Measurements of pulse wave velocity and right and left carotis intima media thickness were performed for both groups. Two groups were compared for mean and maximum carotis intima media thickness and pulse wave velocity. At our study, demographical and labarotary characteristics of both groups were similar. Mean and maximum carotis media thickness were detected as significantly high at psoriasis group, compared to control group (0.73±0.11 mm vs 0.65±0.05 mm, p<0.0001; 0.85±0.09 mm vs 0.76±0.06 mm, p<0,0001; respectively). Carotis-femoral pulse wave velocity was detected as significantly high at psoriasis group, compared to control group (mean: 7.1±0.9 m/sn vs mean: 5.97±0.5 m/sn, respectively; p<0.0001). There was no statistically significant correlation between the increase at carotis intima media thickness and pulse wave velocity, and PASI score and duration of disease. There was a positive correlation between the increase at pulse wave velocity and the increase at carotis intima medica thickness (p<0,0001, r=0,74). Data derived from our study supports the suggestion that there's a tendency towards atherosclerosis at psoriasis. Detection of increased carotis intima media thickness and increased pulse wave velocity even at the absence of conventional atherosclerotic risk factors reflects the tendency for atherosclerotic process. The most possible cause of this increased tendency for atherosclerosis seems to the underlying chronic inflammation, just like at other systematical inflammatory diseases. Along with the belief that data from this study will help to improve clinical outcomes, we esteem that these data should be supported by large scale prospective studies.