Many recent studies have suggested that psoriasis, a chronic, inflammatory, immune-mediated skin disease, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to compare arterial stiffness in psoriasis and control patient groups using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and to determine whether psoriasis is an independent risk factor for CVD. A total 103 patients with psoriasis and 103 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Compared with controls, the patients showed a higher CAVI ( P = .03), particularly patients older than 40 years. The duration of psoriasis exhibited a positive correlative tendency with CAVI ( P = .066). Moreover, psoriasis is an independent predictor of arterial stiffness after adjusting for other factors ( P = .011). We suggest that psoriasis can be a risk factor for CVD, and older patients with psoriasis of longer disease duration should be monitored carefully for cardiovascular risk.
Keywords: arterial stiffness; augmentation index; cardio-ankle vascular index; psoriasis.