Is psoriatic arthritis a risk factor for diabetes mellitus?

Abstract

Introduction: Three meta-analyses evaluated the role of psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The difference of the three studies consisted in evaluating different parameters involved alongside psoriasis (Ps) and/or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the onset of diabetes. The aim of our study is to find if psoriatic arthritis is an independent risk factor. Material and Method: We enrolled 330 patients diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis according with CASPAR criteria in our observational study. The following variables were monitored: the presence of diabetes pre or post onset of psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, the onset of the disease, the gender, the treatment – classical or biological disease disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), corticotherapy, body mass index, alcohol intake, smoking habits, dyslipidaemia, active or inactive status in society. Graph Pad Prism 6.0 software was used to assess the statistically the data. Results: Two-hundred and eighty-seven patients (pts.) with psoriatic arthritis and lack of diabetes were enrolled to the control group. Forty-three patients were associating type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the control group, we found a positive association between overweight (p: 0.008, r: 0.159), obesity (p:0.020, r: 0.138) and glucose intolerance and a protective role of methotrexate (p: 0.023, r: - 0.134). In the study group, according with the statistics, all the patients that developed diabetes were obese and the onset was correlated with the skin lesions (p: 0.038, r: 0.317). Conclusions: Obesity and skin disease seemed to play an important role in the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. A nutritionist should be involved in the management of the disease.