Impact of obesity on disease severity in patients with plaque type psoriasis

Background and Design: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease involving the skin, scalp, nails, and the joints and is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation. Although the pathogenesis of psoriasis is not fully understood, many genetic and environmental factors are believed to have a role in the development of the disease. Obesity, smoking, family history of psoriasis, repetitive physical traumas and major stress disorders are the factors thought to affect the severity and progress of the disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of obesity on the clinical severity of psoriasis in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis.\udMaterials and Methods: Three hundred twenty-five outpatients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis were enrolled in the study. Body Mass Index (BMI) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) values were recorded for each patient.\udResults: When normal, overweight and obese psoriasis patients were compared, a statistically significant difference was not found in disease severity (p=0.707). There was also no significant correlation between BMI and PASI values (r=0.006, p=0916).\udConclusion: Although no effect of obesity on the severity of the disease was shown in our study, further controlled population based studies are needed to investigate the possible role of obesity in triggering and beginning of the disease