Comorbidities associated with psoriasis: An experience from the Middle East

Recent studies suggest that psoriasis patients have higher rates of comorbidities. We sought to determine the prevalence of comorbidities and co-medications in our psoriasis patients. We conducted case-control study in 1835 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and age- and gender-matched cohort without psoriasis. Patients were examined for clinical characteristics of psoriasis, PASI scores, and data of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, comorbidities, and co-medications were analysed for both patients and controls. We identified 1661 (92.8%) patients with mild to moderate psoriasis (PASI < 10) and 129 patient's (7.03%) with severe psoriasis (PASI > 10). Patients with psoriasis were more likely to be current smokers (51.34% vs 32.51% controls). Respective prevalence rates of risk factors in those with mild-moderate psoriasis, severe psoriasis, and controls were as follows: inflammatory arthritis (20%, 31% and 10.68%); coronary heart disease (4.1%, 8.35% and 1.42%); obesity (BM1) (32.5%, 41% and 17%); diabetes mellitus type II (37.4%, 41% and 16%); hypertension (32%, 40.3% and 11.55%); dyslipidemia (14.1%, 22.48% and 4.96%); metabolic syndrome (16%, 26.35% and 6.76%); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (5.36%, 6.98% and 4.03%); cancer (0.3%, 1.55% and 0.16%). They had a higher odds of inflammatory arthritis, coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus II, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. They were receiving significantly wider varieties of drugs. Which most commonly included antidiabetic drugs, antihypertensives, and hypolipidemic drugs.