Association Between Inflammatory Skin Disease and Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Co-Morbidities in US Adults: Analysis of Nationwide Inpatient Sample Data.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis, atopic dermatitis or eczema (AD-E), pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid (BP), and hidradenitis are chronic inflammatory skin disorders associated with systemic immune activation, considerable symptom burden, stigma, functional disturbances, and mental health symptoms. All of these might increase cardiovascular risk.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether these inflammatory skin diseases are associated with increased cardiovascular/cerebrovascular risk and/or disease.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2002-2012 National Inpatient Sample, including a representative 20% sample of all US hospitalizations (n = 72,108,077 adults).

RESULTS: In multivariate logistic regression models with propensity score matching, patients hospitalized with versus without a diagnosis the inflammatory skin diseases examined had higher odds of obesity (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] for pemphigus: 1.16 [1.05-1.29]; BP 1.14 [1.06-1.23]; AD-E: 1.82 [1.79-1.86]; psoriasis: 2.36 [2.32-2.41]; hidradenitis: 2.79 [2.59-3.01]). Inflammatory skin disease was also associated with significantly higher odds of different cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension (pemphigus: 1.39 [1.31-1.48]; BP 1.96 [1.88-2.05]; AD-E: 1.19 [1.17-1.21]; psoriasis: 1.61 [1.59-1.64]), and diabetes mellitus with complications (pemphigus: 1.34 [1.18-1.52]; BP: 2.06 [1.90-2.24]; AD-E: 1.13 [1.10-1.17]; psoriasis: 1.39 [1.35-1.44]), as well as vascular, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disease, including peripheral vascular disease (pemphigus: 1.14 [1.00-1.30]; BP: 1.83 [1.69-1.98]; AD-E: 1.18 [1.14-1.22]; psoriasis: 1.32 [1.28-1.35]), peripheral and visceral atherosclerosis (BP: 1.67 [1.53-1.81]; AD-E: 1.16 [1.12-1.20]; psoriasis: 1.27 [1.24-1.30]), pulmonary circulation disorders (pemphigus: 1.67 [1.39-2.01]; BP: 2.17 [1.92-2.45]; AD-E: 1.39 [1.33-1.45]; psoriasis: 1.37 [1.31-1.43]), congestive heart failure (pemphigus: 1.75 [1.60-1.90]; BP: 2.82 [2.68-2.98]; AD-E: 1.10 [1.07-1.13]; psoriasis: 1.05 [1.02-1.07]), history of transient ischemic attack (pemphigus: 1.36 [1.14-1.62]; BP: 2.03 [1.83-2.26]; AD-E: 1.19 [1.15-1.23]; psoriasis: 1.31 [1.26-1.36]), and cerebrovascular disease. In stratified analyses, multiple inflammatory skin diseases were associated with significantly higher rates of obesity, hypertension, and/or diabetes in patients aged <50 years and females.

CONCLUSIONS: Psoriasis, pemphigus, BP, AD-E, and hidradenitis were all associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk, especially at younger age.