Comorbidity burden in psoriatic arthritis and its impact on disease measures

Introduction: Comorbidities frequently accompany psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and add to the disease burden. We aimed to identify the comorbidity burden in patients with PsA and evaluate its impact on the disease activity measures in our geographic region. Methods: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study involving consecutive PsA patients from 17 rheumatology centers. Their disease variables and comorbidities were recorded. Results: In 549 enrolled patients, the mean age was 39.2 (14.9) years, with male predominance (6:5). The mean duration of PsA was 63.1 (76.3) months and 232 (42.3%) patients had one or more comorbidities. Dyslipidemia was the most prevalent comorbidity, followed by hypertension (HTN) (19.8%) and diabetes (16.6%). About 39% of patients were overweight and 18% were obese. Smoking, ischemic heart disease, hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, depression, anxiety, and fractures were seen in <5% of the cohort. Increasing age, longer duration of psoriasis, a family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or stroke, smoking, alcohol consumption, and higher waist circumference were associated with the presence of one or more comorbidities. Overall, 104 (18.9%) patients needed hospitalization for various comorbidities. Infections accounted for 59 (10.8%), of which skin (23) was the most common site, followed by urinary tract (6) and lung (4). Conclusions: More than 40% of PsA patients have comorbidities. Dyslipidemia, HTN, diabetes, and obesity were most prevalent, putting these patients at risk for CVDs. Active screening for these comorbidities is crucial for providing comprehensive care to these patients.