Increased Amount of Visceral Fat in Patients with Psoriasis Contributes to Metabolic Syndrome

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BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is associated with visceral fat accumulation. There is no study on the accumulation of visceral fat in patients with psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the visceral fat accumulation in patients with psoriasis and controls. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 46 patients with psoriasis and 46 sex- and age-matched control patients were included in this study. The abdominal fat area [visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA) and total fat area (TFA)] at the level of the umbilicus was evaluated by computed tomography. RESULTS: The mean VFA value and VFA/SFA ratio of the psoriasis patients were significantly higher compared with the control patients (123.4 +/- 80.3 vs. 81.2 +/- 59.8 cm(2) and 0.734 +/- 0.593 vs. 0.491 +/- 0.336; p = 0.005 and p = 0.017, respectively). Fasting blood sugar levels were also found to be significantly higher in psoriasis patients, compared with the control patients (101.8 +/- 43.5 vs. 83.4 +/- 9.1 mg/dl; p = 0.005). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that waist-to-hip ratio, age, body weight, the presence of psoriasis and metabolic syndrome were significantly associated with VFA. CONCLUSION: Psoriasis patients had a higher amount of VFA, compared with the control patients.