Psoriasis is independently associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients 55 years old or older: Results from a population-based study.

BACKGROUND

Recent case-control studies observed an increased prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with psoriasis, which is relevant in selecting optimal psoriasis treatment.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to compare the prevalence of NAFLD in people with psoriasis and those without psoriasis.

METHODS

This large prospective population-based cohort study (part of the Rotterdam Study) enrolled elderly participants (>55 years). NAFLD was diagnosed as fatty liver on ultrasonography in the absence of other liver diseases. Participants with psoriasis were identified using a validated algorithm. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess whether psoriasis was associated with NAFLD after adjusting for demographic, lifestyle characteristics, and laboratory findings.

RESULTS

In total, 2292 participants were included (mean age 76.2 ± 6.0 years; 58.7% female; mean body mass index 27.4 ± 4.2kg/m(2)) of whom 118 (5.1%) had psoriasis. The prevalence of NAFLD was 46.2% in patients with psoriasis compared with 33.3% for the reference group without psoriasis (P = .005). Psoriasis was significantly associated with NAFLD; after adjustment for alcohol consumption, pack-years and smoking status, presence of metabolic syndrome, and alanine aminotransferase, psoriasis remained a significant predictor of NAFLD (adjusted odds ratio 1.7, 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.6).

LIMITATIONS

This was a cross-sectional study.

CONCLUSION

Elderly participants with psoriasis are 70% more likely to have NAFLD than those without psoriasis independent of common NAFLD risk factors.