Relationship of Visceral Fat and Adipokines with Cardiometabolic Diseases in Psoriasis

As part of a larger cross-sectional, case-control study on cardiometabolic diseases in psoriasis this study investigated the association of visceral fat and serum adipokines with psoriasis and cardiometabolic diseases. A total of 103 patients with psoriasis and 98 controls, matched for body mass index, ethnicity and sex, were recruited over 15 months. Abdominal visceral fat was measured by computerized tomo-graphy. Logistic regression analysis revealed that visceral fat was associated with psoriasis (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.56 (1.15, 2.11)), hyper-triglyceridaemia (1.67 (1.22, 2.28)), low high-density lipoprotein (1.63 (1.19, 2.22)) and type 2 diabetes (1.77 (1.24, 2.54)), (p < 0.005 for all). These respective associations were linked to serum interleukin-6, adiponectin, tumour necrosis factor and insulin resistance. Psoriasis was associated with type 2 diabetes (7.94 (2.64, 23.9)), independent of visceral fat. These data suggest that visceral fat and its mediators play a key role in psoriasis-associated cardiometabolic diseases. Psoriasis itself is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.