Risk factors of hypertension, diabetes and obesity in Italian psoriasis patients : a survey on socio-demographic characteristics, smoking habits and alcohol consumption

We evaluated risk factors such as socio-demographic characteristics, smoking habits and alcohol consumption, associated with hypertension, diabetes and obesity in psoriasis patients, in order to plan health education programs that could prevent the onset or progression of co-morbidities. The study population consisted of 1376 patients with psoriasis who were consecutively recruited at 21 Italian Departments of Dermatology. Information concerning socio-demographic variables, smoking and alcohol consumption, and the presence of chronic disorders such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and obesity was collected. The risk of co-morbidities according to the various exposure variables was calculated using logistic regression models. Psoriasis patients living in extremely urban areas showed the highest risk of diabetes (OR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.06-5.23) and obesity (OR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.10-16.12), as compared to patients living in rural areas. The OR for hypertension was higher for smokers (> 15 cigarettes per day, OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.01-2.03) and drinkers (> 2 glasses/day of wine, OR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.31-3.40). The OR for diabetes or obesity was higher for drinkers: 1 drink/day (OR = 1.93, 95% CI 1.01-3.67) and > 1 drink/day of spirits (OR = 2.90, 95% CI 1.43-5.82), respectively. The results of our survey highlight the need to detect psoriasis patients with different susceptibilities to co-morbidities in order to plan specific health campaigns aimed at changing people's lifestyles with respect to smoking, drinking and diet.