Agnete Malm Gulati‘s PhD research indicates that patients with psoriasis arthritis have increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the risk seems to be increased compared to the normal population even before they develop the disease.

MAIN RESULTS:

1. Persons with psoriasis arthritis have increased prevalence of several cardiovascular risk factors.
2. Estimated 10-year cardiovascular mortality is low in patients with psoriasis arthritis.
3. Cardiovascular risk factors do not increase more rapidly in patients who develop psoriasis arthritis.

THESIS DEFENCE:

Thesis: Cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis in psoriatic arthritis
Candidate: Agnete Malm Gulati
Time: April 27, 2018 at 12:15
Place: St. Olavs Hospital: Norwegian Brain Centre, Auditorium MTA
Link to university website (in Norwegian)

SUMMARY:

(1) Psoriasis arthritis is characterized by the combination of arthritis and psoriasis. 338 of more than 50 000 participants in the third wave of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3) had confirmed psoriasis arthritis. Unsurprisingly, C-reactive protein was increased in the patients. Moreover, they also had increased levels of several other cardiovascular risk factors, namely smoking, lack of physical activity, hypertension and obesity. Psoriasis arthrtitis was also associated with higher body mass index, higher waist circumference and higher diastolic blood pressure.

Gulati and co-workers also estimated the 10-year risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, based on a well-known risk model. The risk was low, and the analyses did not reveal any significant difference from individuals without psoriasis arthritis.

REFERENCES:

(1) Gulati, A. M., Semb, A. G., Rollefstad, S., Romundstad, P. R., Kavanaugh, A., Gulati, S., Haugeberg, G., & Hoff, M. (2015). On the HUNT for cardiovascular risk factors and disease in patients with psoriatic arthritis: population-based data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study. Annals of the rheumatic diseases, annrheumdis-2014.

(2) Gulati, A. M., Hoff, M., Salvesen, Ø., Dhainaut, A., Semb, A. G., Kavanaugh, A., & Haugeberg, G. (2017). Bone mineral density in patients with psoriatic arthritis: data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 3. RMD open, 3(1), e000413.

(3) Gulati, A. M., Salvesen, Ø., Thomsen, R. S., Kavanaugh, A., Semb, A. G., Rollefstad, S., Haugeberg, G., & Hoff, M. (2018). Change in cardiovascular risk factors in patients who develop psoriatic arthritis: longitudinal data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). RMD Open, 4(1), e000630.