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Psoriasis affects more than 3% of the general population and is associated with an increased risk of premature cardiovascular events and death. We assessed the prognostic role of coronary flow reserve (CFR) as a marker of coronary microvascular function in psoriasis patients asymptomatic for cardiovascular disease. We retrospectively analyzed 153 prospectively collected patients affected by psoriasis (123 male; age 36 ± 8 years) without cardiovascular disease. CFR in the left anterior descending coronary artery was detected by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, at rest, and during adenosine infusion. CFR was the ratio of hyperemic to resting diastolic flow velocity. CFR ≤2.5 was the cut off to define the presence of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). CMD was present in 23 patients (15%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that CMD was associated with severe psoriasis (OR 3.1, p = 0.03), psoriatic arthritis (OR 2.9, p = 0.03), hypertension (OR 4.1, p = 0.009), and time elapsing since psoriasis diagnosis >6 years (OR 1.9, p = 0.03). Patients with CFR ≤2.5 had a lower survival free from events (p < 0.0001). In psoriasis patients, CFR may be a reliable prognostic marker for cardiovascular event-free survival and may help identify patients at higher risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Whether novel biologic therapies able to reduce skin disease will improve CMD and prognosis in these patients needs to be further studied, prospectively. Image 1 • This study analyzed the prognostic role of coronary flow reserve in psoriasis. • 153 psoriatic patients without cardiovascular disease were included. • Coronary microvascular dysfunction was present in 15% of patients. • Coronary flow reserve may be a prognostic marker for events-free survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims In patients with psoriasis, the chronic exposure to systemic inflammation can result in coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). In this self-controlled, prospective pilot study, we investigated whether a long-term treatment with TNF-α inhibitors effective against skin symptoms also improves coronary flow reserve in psoriasis patients (CFR). Methods We prospectively studied 37 consecutive psoriasis patients (31 male; age, 37.7 ± 8.5 years) without cardiovascular disease, before and after anti-TNF-α treatment. CFR in the left anterior descending coronary artery was detected by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, at rest and during adenosine infusion. CFR was the ratio of hyperemic to resting diastolic flow velocity. A CFR ≤ 2.5 was considered a marker of CMD. Psoriasis was assessed by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). High sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and serum TNF-α were assessed. Results Overall, CFR increased from 2.2 ± 0.7 to 3.02 ± 0.8 ( p < 0.0001) after TNF-α inhibitors therapy. In patients with CMD, CFR increased from 1.88 ± 0.3 to 2.74 ± 0.5 ( p < 0.0001). In patients with normal CFR, CFR increased from 3.0 ± 0.5 to 3.7 ± 0.9 ( p = 0.08). CFR improvement after TNF-α inhibitors treatment was correlated with hs-CRP and TNF-α reduction ( p = 0.004 and p = 0.02, respectively), but not with change in PASI ( p = 0.5). Conclusions The present study demonstrates that TNF-α inhibitors treatment ameliorates CMD in patients with established psoriasis not responding to long-term conventional therapy. These findings suggest that a therapy specifically targeted against inflammation is able to positively affect coronary microvascular function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]