The association between smoking and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in patients with psoriasis aged 30 to 49 years

Introduction: Cigarette smoking may exacerbate and cause psoriasis. Moreover, smokers are more likely to develop insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MS).

Aim: To assess the prevalence of MS and its components in patients with psoriasis, who smoke, compared with the general Polish population of smokers.

Material and methods: We studied 29 patients with psoriasis (female = 9, male = 20), smokers, aged 30 to 49 years. Metabolic syndrome and its components were assessed using the IDF definition and compared to the results obtained in a representative sample of adult Poles in the NATPOL 2011 study in the same age group, including smokers.

Results: The results have shown that patients with psoriasis are more likely to be smokers (p < 0.0034) and the frequency of smoking in men is approximately 25% higher than in males of the control group (p < 0.0017). The prevalence of MS in patients with psoriasis who smoke was 27.58% and in the control group 25.2% (p > 0.05). Mean body mass index was 26.07 kg/m² in psoriasis patients and 25.59 kg/m² in the control group (p > 0.05), and abdominal obesity was 88.82 cm and 90.02 cm (p > 0.05), respectively. There were no differences in hypertension (34.48% vs. 31.6%, p < 0.05) and mean HOMA-IR (1.80 vs. 1.77, p > 0.05). In lipid parameters, the differences were observed only in women with psoriasis – higher levels of HDL, triglycerides and ApoB/ApoA1 index compared with addicted women in the control group.

Conclusions: Men with psoriasis are more often addicted to smoking. Women with psoriasis who smoke have often disturbances of the lipid profile.