ABSTRACT

Background:

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease which affects 3% of general population. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is the constellation of risk factors including high blood pressure, central obesity, abnormal serum lipids and insulin resistance which increases the cardiovascular complications in that particular patient. The causal association between psoriasis and MetS has gained increasing attention in the last decades. Recent evidence suggests that there is a most probably bidirectional interaction between these two diseases. Common pathophysiology, environmental factors and shared susceptibility genes are the potential mechanisms that underlie this link. The awareness and understanding of the association between psoriasis and MetS is of great importance for both dermatologists and non-dermatologists since the clarification of this connection provides more comprehensive information on their uncertain pathophysiology and enables the identification of novel targets for better treatment options. For dermatologists, psoriasis should be considered as a disease beyond the skin and the patients should be screened for cardiometabolic risks and referred appropriately.