Alcohol Consumption And Smoking: A Risk Factor For Psoriasis

Background: Psoriasis is a multifactorial chronic skin disease. As in other chronic disorders various lifestyle factors have been associated with its morbidity. Objectives: To study the association between smoking, alcohol consumption among males and psoriasis diseases. Design: The design of study was case-control study Setting: Cases and controls were selected from Basrah General Hospital (BGH), Sadder Teaching Hospital (STH) and private clinic of dermatology (P.C)in Basrah .Iraq Methods: The data were collected by using questionnaire form through personal interviewing of cases and control males only to give information about the effects of smoking and alcohol on the course of the diseases . Patients with newly diagnoses of skin diseases other than psoriasis were considered as control group. Results: A total number of patient with psoriasis was 98 patients, 47(48%) were males and 51(52%) were females, while the controls was 242 patients, 116 (48.0%) were males and 126 (52.0%) were females . For the purpose of estimation the risk among males only , it was carried out by calculation of X2 ,OR ,and 95% Cl of OR. The risk for psoriasis was higher in current males smokers than those patients who never smoked. The association with smoking was very significant with ( P = 0.008, OR =2.696 , 95 % C.I of OR = 1.27 5.71 ) .Similar to smoking, there was significant association with alcohol consumption with ( P= 0.012, OR= 2.73, 95 % CI of OR = 1.23 6.08 ). Conclusions: Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption are associated with psoriatic males .