BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to compare the Framingham risk score, a method to estimate coronary heart disease and prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis and the general population.

METHODS: We retrospectively studied a hospital cohort and used a cross-sectional random sample from the general population as controls.

RESULTS: A total of 185 patients with psoriasis aged 10-86 years were referred to our department during 2009-2011. Median psoriasis area and severity index score was 5.8 (range 0.0-39.8), and 10% of the patients received systemic antipsoriatic treatment. Body mass index (26.2 vs. 25.2 kg/m(2) , P = 0.005), waist circumference (96.0 vs. 88.0 cm, P < 0.001), and prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (15.1 vs. 14.5, P = 0.009) were significantly higher in patients with psoriasis. We found no significant differences in Framingham risk scores between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients from the hospital cohort had a higher prevalence of certain cardiovascular risk factors compared to individuals without psoriasis from the general population. However, the Framingham risk score did not demonstrate an excess risk of coronary heart disease in patients with psoriasis compared to controls.