Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with psoriasis at Mostar Clinical Hospital.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Metabolic syndrome is composed of obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Previous reports have shown higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with psoriasis. It is believed that similar inflammatory changes lie in the pathophysiological background of psoriasis and metabolic syndrome. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in patients with psoriasis, as well as to investigate the presence of systemic signs of inflammation such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. The study included 60 patients with psoriasis and the same number of control subjects. We measured anthropometric and laboratory parameters; metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index was determined in all patients with psoriasis. This study showed a statistically significant presence of obesity (48.3%) and hyperglycemia (23.3%) in patients with psoriasis, while the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 46.7%. These findings should encourage practitioners to screen psoriasis patients, especially when the disease is severe, for metabolic disorders and introduce appropriate prevention strategies.