The prevalence of hypertension among patients with psoriasis in clinical practice

Background. Psoriasis is a systemic chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease of a multifactorial nature that affects about 2 to 3% of the population worldwide. Given the systemic nature of the disease, the level of comorbid diseases is high, especially those associated with damage to the cardiovascular system. According to the results of various meta-analyzes, it has been proven that among patients with psoriasis, the risk of developing hypertension is high.

Aim. To evaluate the prevalence of arterial hypertension (AH) among patients with psoriasis.

Materials and methods. We present an open, prospective, observational clinical trial, which includes 60 patients diagnosed with psoriasis vulgaris of varying severity and psoriatic arthritis. All patients underwent clinical and laboratory tests, including the level of total cholesterol, glucose, creatinine, C-reactive protein, calculation of glomerular filtration rate. Body mass index, blood pressure level according to the Korotkov method, severity of the disease by determining psoriasis area and severity Index (PASI), dermatological quality of life index (DLQI), levels of hospital anxiety and depression according to the HADS scale were also assessed. The SCORE2 scale was used to assess cardiovascular risk in patients aged 40 to 69 years, the SCORE 2OP scale for patients aged 70 to 89 years, respectively. Cardiovascular risk was defined as low for patients under 40 years of age. All study participants were examined for the presence of AH.

Results. The prevalence of hypertension was 25%, with prevalence among men (15%). The prevalence of hypertension is directly proportional to the severity of psoriasis (13% with hypertension in patients with severe psoriasis, 12% with hypertension with moderate psoriasis, 2% with hypertension with mild psoriasis).

Conclusion. Given the high prevalence of AH among patients with psoriasis, it is necessary to form a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of patients, including a thorough assessment of cardiovascular risk in clinical practice.