Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Psoriasis

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and psoriasis are strongly related, therefore the importance of CV risk stratification continues to grow.

Researchers aimed to evaluate CV risk in Slovak patients with psoriasis and investigate the relationship between CV risk and psoriasis features. They conducted a case-control study involving 115 outpatients with plaque psoriasis and 66 age- and gender-matched controls with other skin conditions. CV risk was assessed using the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation 2 (SCORE2) and SCORE2-older persons (OP) risk prediction algorithms.

Patients with psoriasis had significantly higher mean SCORE2 values compared to controls. In the age group up to 50 years, more patients with psoriasis were classified as moderate risk (33.8% vs 13.6%, P = 0.010), and the high-risk category was dominated by patients with psoriasis. Linear regression analysis revealed that SCORE2 risk score was dependent on gender (in the age group up to 50 years), age (in both age groups), waist circumference (in the age group up to 50 years), and the duration and severity of psoriasis (in both age groups). For individuals older than age 70 years, the average SCORE2-OP risk score was 19.5 ± 4.95, with no controls in the high-risk category. Patients with psoriasis were more likely to be smokers and had significantly higher mean values for body mass index, waist circumference, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and systolic blood pressure.

“Because CV risk factors and psoriasis are strongly related, the importance of CV risk stratification is growing, and initiating preventive lifestyle changes or therapeutic interventions in patients with psoriasis is warranted,” the authors concluded.

Reference
Kampe T, Baloghová J, Kolarčik P, Rimárová K, Dorko E. SCORE2 screening tool for cardiovascular risk assessment in psoriasis-a case-control study. J Clin Med. Published online May 30, 2024. doi:10.3390/jcm13113237