Background/Purpose: Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The carotid ultrasound, which measures both carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaque (CP), is a non-invasive tool useful in the identification of subclinical atherosclerosis¹. However, carotid ultrasound differences between PsA patients and general population have not yet been well described.

The aim of this study is to compare the carotid ultrasound characteristics in PsA patients with controls.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 69 PsA patients that fulfilled the CASPAR (Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis) criteria and 69 controls matched by age and comorbidities. Patients with a history of previous atherosclerotic CVD (ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular accident or peripheral arterial disease) and pregnancy were excluded. A clinical history and blood tests were performed. Carotid B-mode ultrasonography was used for measurements of cIMT and the presence of plaques. Increased cIMT was defined as ≥0.9 mm to 1.1 mm. CP was defined as a focal narrowing ≥0.5 mm of the surrounding lumen or a cIMT ≥1.2 mm. Descriptive analysis was done with frequencies (%), mean (±SD) and median (q25-q75), and comparisons with Chi square, Student´s t  and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: A total of 138 subjects were included. Clinical and demographic characteristics are shown in Table 1. Increased cIMT and right carotid plaque were significantly more prevalent in PsA patients compared to controls (p=0.017 and p=0.049, respectively). No significant differences were found in the prevalence of carotid plaque and in the intima-media thickness between groups.

Conclusion: Patients with psoriatic arthritis have a higher cardiovascular risk, as proven by the increased cIMT found on carotid ultrasound results. Therefore, it is opportune to perform a carotid ultrasound in patients with PsA to attain an optimal management of the disease.

The rheumatologist must acknowledge the importance of performing a complete cardiovascular evaluation to provide a correct treatment to diminish future cardiac events.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/carotid-ultrasound-findings-in-psoriatic-arthritis-a-case-control-study/