ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2013 April;172(4):241-6

Copyright © 2013 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Psoriasis, diabete and dyslipidemia (a cross-sectional study)

Vargu M. ¹, Vargu P. ², Heta N. ³, Konda E. ², Burazeri G. ⁴

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Clinic of Dermato-Venereology, University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa”, Tirana, Albania; ² Clinic of Cardiology, University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa”, Tirana, Albania; ³ Department of Laboratory, University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa”, Tirana, Albania; ⁴ Department of statistics, University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa”, Tirana, Albania

Aim: The association between psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome has been well documented, however, few studies have touched on the correlation between psoriasis and diabetes and the link between psoriasis and dyslipidemia. Aim of the study was to analyze the correlation between psoriasis and diabetes and between psoriasis and dyslipidemia (cholesterol and triglycerides).
Methods: A cross-sectional study is performed utilizing available data from the statistical center of the “Mother Teresa” University Hospital Center in Tirana. Diagnosed psoriatic patients are compared to non-psoriatic patients regarding the manifestation of diabetes and cholesterol and triglycerides levels. A chi-square test is used to compare the categorical parameters between groups and a t-test is applied in the comparison of continuous variables.
Results: The study consists of a comparison between a psoriatic group (599 psoriatic patients) and a control group (644 non-psoriatic patients). Diabetes prevalence resulted higher in the psoriatic group in comparison to the control group and this result is “borderline significant” (P=0.065). Conversely, average values of cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in the control group and this result was statistically highly significant (P<0.001).