Psoriasis and diabetes: A population-based cross-sectional study

Background: Previous reports have shown an association between psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome, but there are only a few studies on the association between psoriasis and diabetes. Objectives: To study the association between psoriasis and diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed utilizing the database of Clalit Health Services (CHS). Patients who were diagnosed with psoriasis were compared with CHS enrolees without psoriasis regarding the prevalence of diabetes. Patients with diabetes were identified using the CHS chronic diseases registry. Chi-squared tests were used to compare categorical parameters. Logistic regression models were used for multivariate analyses. Results: The study included 16.851 patients with psoriasis and 74.987 subjects without psoriasis (control patients). The proportion of diabetes was significantly higher in patients above 35 years (P < 0.05). The age-adjusted proportion of diabetes was significantly higher in psoriasis patients as compared to the control group [odds ratio (OR), 1.38, P < 0.05] and was similar in men and women (OR, 1.32, 1.45, respectively). A multivariate logistic regression model showed that psoriasis was significantly associated with diabetes, independently of age and gender (OR, 1.58, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study supports previous reports of an association between psoriasis and diabetes. Dermatologists taking care of patients with psoriasis should be aware of this association and advise the patients to reduce additional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension or dyslipidemia.