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The following is a summary of “Identification of risk factors associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in psoriatic patients,” published in the November 2024 issue of Dermatology by Küçük et al.
Patients with psoriasis are at more elevated risk for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a common reason for chronic liver disease, but the relationship between these conditions remains unclear, possibly due to shared inflammatory processes or comorbidities like obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to better characterize the anthropometric and metabolic profiles of patients with psoriatic and MASLD.
They performed the study from June 2014 to August 2017, including only adult patients with psoriasis. Blood analysis, liver ultrasonography, and a fibroscan were performed on participants. Baseline anthropometric measurements and components of fatty liver disease, including hepatic ultrasound and fibroscan, were also assessed.
The results showed that 43% of the 100 recruited patients (65.1% men, n=28) were diagnosed with MASLD, the mean body mass index (BMI) was increased in patients with MASLD compared to those with non-MASLD (27.7 kg/m2 vs 30.1 kg/m2, P <0.001). The patients with MASLD also had significantly higher waist circumference (105.6 cm vs 97.2 cm, P =0.005),no significant age difference between the groups (50.4 vs 47.3 years, P =0.26) were observed. Psoriatic arthritis was more common in patients with MASLD (14.3% vs 1.8%, P =0.004) and the biochemical analysis revealed significantly higher C-peptide levels (2.5 vs 1.6 ng/ml, P =0.036) and lower HDL and glycemia, triglycerides, cholesterol, and LDL levels. Additionally, 16.3% of patients with MASLD had liver fibrosis (stages F2-F4) based on liver stiffness measurement, compared to 10.6% of patients with non-MASLD.
Investigators concluded the screening patients with psoriasis for MASLD is crucial for preventing liver fibrosis progression.
