Most studies investigating the association between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease have shown a significant relationship. This comparison study investigated the association between psoriasis and prevalent use of cardiovascular drugs. Drug exposure data for 1998 to 2006 were extracted from the Dutch PHARMO-Record Linkage System database. Psoriasis patients were selected using an algorithm of hospitalization and drug dispensing records specific for psoriasis and matched with controls for gender, age and time-period. From the records of 2.5 million Dutch residents, 9,804 (0.4%) psoriasis patients and 15,288 (0.6%) controls were selected. Psoriasis patients used significantly more anti-hypertensives, anti-coagulant and anti-platelet agents, digoxin, nitrates, lipid-lowering and anti-diabetic drugs than the reference population during a 5-year period observation. In a multiple linear regression model adjusting for the number of unique drugs used, psoriasis was no longer significantly associated with any of these drug classes. Psoriasis patients used more cardiovascular-related drugs, but surveillance bias appears to affect this association considerably.

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doi.org/10.2340/00015555-0688, hdl.handle.net/1765/25427
Acta Dermato-Venereologica
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

Wakkee, M., Meijer, W., Neumann, M., Herings, R., & Nijsten, T. (2009). Psoriasis may not be an independent predictor for the use of cardiovascular and anti-diabetic drugs: A 5-year prevalence study. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 89(5), 476–483. doi:10.2340/00015555-0688