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Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with higher carotid intima-media thickness in psoriatic patients

  • Investigative Report
  • Published:
European Journal of Dermatology Aims and scope

Abstract

Background

Psoriasis has been associated with vitamin D insufficiency and cardiovascular risk factors. Reports show that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels are inversely associated with chronic inflammatory systemic diseases, cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes.

Objective

To analyze the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (maximal intima-media thickness (MIMT)) in psoriasis patients and controls. MIMT was compared and associated factors were analyzed.

Patients and Method

This was a case-control study with 44 psoriatic patients without arthritis from a Dermatology outpatient clinic in Granada (Spain) and 44 controls. Confounding factors related to 25-OHD serum levels and cardiovascular risk factors were also analyzed.

Results

25-OHD levels were significantly lower in the psoriatic than in the control group (29.20 vs. 38.00 ng/mL p<0.0001) and a significant negative correlation was found between serum 25-OHD levels and the MIMT (rs = −0.678, p<0.0001) in psoriatic patients. No correlation was found in healthy controls. This association remained after adjusting for confounders. Serum 25-OHD levels were significantly lower (p = 0.003) in psoriatic patients with carotid atheromatous plaque (22.38 ± 10.23 ng/mL) than in those without (31.74 ± 8.62 ng/mL). Patients with a longer history of psoriasis presented significantly higher MIMT than controls (638.70 ± 76.21 vs 594.67 ± 80.20 μm; p = 0.026 for ≥6 yrs with psoriasis).

Conclusions

In psoriasis patients, lower serum 25-OHD levels were associated with higher MIMT after adjusting for selected confounding factors. The MIMT risk increases with a longer history of psoriasis, regardless of the patient’s age.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatology Department, University Hospital of San Cecilio, Av. Doctor Oloriz s/n, Granada, Spain

    Jacinto Orgaz-Molina & Salvador Arias-Santiago

  2. Rheumatology Department, University Hospital of San Cecilio, Av. Doctor Oloriz s/n, Granada, Spain

    Cesar Magro-Checa, José Luis Rosales-Alexander & Enriqué Raya-Álvarez

  3. School of Medicine, University Hospital of San Cecilio, Av. Doctor Oloriz s/n, Granada, Spain

    Miguel A. Arrabal-Polo, Agustin Buendía-Eisman & Salvador Arias-Santiago

  4. Radiology Department, University Hospital of San Cecilio, Av. Doctor Oloriz s/n, Granada, Spain

    Luisa Castellote-Caballero

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  1. Jacinto Orgaz-Molina
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  3. José Luis Rosales-Alexander
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  4. Miguel A. Arrabal-Polo
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  8. Salvador Arias-Santiago
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Correspondence to Salvador Arias-Santiago.

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Orgaz-Molina, J., Magro-Checa, C., Rosales-Alexander, J.L. et al. Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with higher carotid intima-media thickness in psoriatic patients. Eur J Dermatol 24, 53–62 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2013.2241

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2013.2241

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