Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Patients With Severe Psoriasis Treated With Biologic Agents
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-11-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Psoriasis is a common inflammatory disease of the skin and joints with a prevalence of 1-3%
in the caucasian population of Northern Europe and the US. Similarly to other inflammatory
diseases there is now substantial and accumulating evidence that psoriasis has a systemic
inflammatory component.
It is known that patients suffering from psoriasis have increased prevalence of traditional
cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, tobacco use and
diabetes mellitus. This would logically explain an increased rate of cardiovascular events,
but even when adjusting for theses risk factors, psoriasis carry an independent risk for
developing cardiovascular disease.
Recent large epidemiological studies have shown a strong correlation between psoriasis and
myocardial infarction.
Atopic dermatitis has been linked to ischemic stroke in one study, but besides this, the
disease has not been associated with cardiovascular disease.
In conclusion, convincing and increasing evidence is supporting that psoriasis induce
accelerated atherosclerosis and hence cardiovascular disease and mortality. In particular,
this is seen in young patients with early disease onset.
Psoriasis is believed to be driven by cytokines produced by Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes. A
number of these cytokines are suggested to be atherogenic. In contrast, another chronic
inflammatory disease, atopic dermatitis, is predominantly driven by Th2 lymphocyte derived
cytokines, some of which may inhibit atherosclerotic processes. It is therefore, of interest
to compare the presence of cardiovascular disease in these two inflammatory skin diseases.
Hypothesis: That the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and especially coronary artery
disease is increased in psoriasis patients and that this process can be influenced by
treatment of psoriasis with biological treatment.
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of Aarhus
Collaborators:
Aage Bangs Fond Aarhus University Hospital AbbVie Region Midt Forskningsfond