Psoriasis and metabolic syndrome: a review

Abstract

Psoriasis is the most common chronic dermatosis and affects 1–2% of the population of developed countries. In Russia, psoriasis incidence rate has increased by 11% since 2011. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory and immune-mediated skin disease and it is often associated with metabolic syndrome and its components such as obesity, arterial hypertension, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. The risk of developing metabolic syndrome in patients with psoriasis is 40% higher than in the general population. Psoriasis and metabolic syndrome share some pathogenic mechanisms such as chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and an increased level of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Systemic inflammation causes obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes. These conditions increase the risk of mortality among patients. There is a link between the severity of psoriasis and metabolic syndrome and associated with severe rash, reduction of the remission and higher risk of psoriatic arthritis development. The carriers of the risk allele of FTO gene are associated with severe psoriasis, presence of psoriatic arthritis and obesity. The article presents the issues of epidemiology, etiology and pathogenesis of psoriasis and metabolic syndrome.