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Disease duration and disease activity were significant predictors of cardiovascular risk in PsA patients.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are at a significantly increased risk for cardiovascular events, according to a study published in The Egyptian Rheumatologist.  Due to the growing interest in the relationship between PsA and CVD, Svetlana I. Smiyan, MD, and colleagues evaluated the frequency of CV risk factors among patients with PsA. The researchers assessed lipid profiles, serum homocysteine levels, endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDVD), and CV risk using the QRISK-3 scale. They collected data on disease activity in psoriatic arthritis (DAPSA), the psoriasis area, and severity index. Reduced EDVD was significantly more frequent among patients with PsA when compared with controls. The researchers noted significant differences in lipid profile, homocysteine, QRISK, C-reactive protein, DAPSA, and disease duration between patients with PsA and reduced and normal EDVD. The researchers found that cardiovascular risk was more than seven times higher in patients with PsA, independent of traditional risk factors. According to linear regression analysis, disease duration and disease activity were significant predictors of cardiovascular risk in patients with PsA.