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/m(2) in psoriasis patients and 25.59 kg/m(2) 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.