Comorbidities in Psoriasis Among Iraqi Patients Attending al Yarmouk Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic dermatological condition that has been shown to exhibit a correlation with a heightened prevalence of comorbidities, such as the metabolic syndrome. It is recommended that individuals diagnosed with psoriasis have regular screening for metabolic syndrome.

Aim of study: Is to evaluate the rate of metabolic syndrome and depression in patients with psoriasis in comparison with control patients and to assess association of metabolic syndrome and depression with the severity of psoriasis.

Methods: This is a case control study conducted in department of dermatology and venereology out-patient in Al Yarmouk teaching hospital, Baghdad, Iraq from January 2022 to January 2023. This study involved 100 psoriatic patients (cases) and 100 patients attended outpatient for other dermatological diseases (controls) and matched for same age and gender, two different questionnaires were used for all study.

All patients were subjected to detailed History, complete physical examination, work-up for psoriasis disease diagnosis and further follow-up and management, and evaluation of metabolic syndrome and depression which was achieved by different tools mentioned previously.

Results: 31% of them were overweighed while other 31% had normal BMI, 72% were normotensive and 78% were not depressed. 58% of psoriatic patients were presented as severe pattern. Psoriasis was significantly seen among obese patients (74.5%, P=0.001), depressed patients (72.7%, P=0.001). Also, it was significantly found in patients with high FBS (71%, P=0.011), hi cholesterol level (69.6%, P=0.02), hi TG (78.6, P=0.026), high LDL (69.2%, P=0.035), and low HDL (72.3%, P=0.001). Severe form of psoriasis was significantly associated with long duration of disease (84%, P=0.005), with obese patients (74.3%, P=0.018), with hypertensive patients (81.3%, P=0.004), and with patients had low HDL (82.4%, P=0.001).

Conclusion: Psoriatic  patients in Iraq  had higher prevalence of comorbidities in comparison to those who didn’t have psoriasis. Obesity, hypertension, and low s. HDL are positively correlated with severity of psoriasis. Psoriasis is considered as an associated risk factor that may cause depression.

Keyword: Psoriasis, depression, metabolic syndrome, Iraq