MedWire News: Patients with moderate to severe psoriasis have high rates of alcohol misuse, say Irish and UK researchers who recommend the screening of psoriasis patients to allow appropriate interventions.
Psoriasis is associated with increased alcohol intake, which may increase psoriasis severity, and is linked to anxiety and depression in patients with the disease. Increased alcohol intake may also contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk seen in psoriasis.
To assess alcohol consumption in psoriasis, Brian Kirby, from St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, and colleagues recruited 135 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, as determined using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index.
The patients completed the self-report Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), the CAGE questionnaire, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). In addition, blood samples were taken to measure levels of ?-glutamyltransferase (?GT) and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT). Patients were also assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire.
The CAGE and MAST scales identified 21% of the patients as having difficulties with alcohol, while the AUDIT score indicated that 32% of individuals had current hazardous drinking habits, the team reports in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Moderate to severe impairment in quality of life was detected in 19% of patients, while 21% had clinically significant anxiety, and 7% had clinically significant depression. Pathological worry was found in 19% of patients. Excessive alcohol intake on the CAGE questionnaire was significantly associated with increased depression, but there were no other correlations with psychological distress.
In all, 7% of patients had CDT scores above 1.6%, indicating heavy alcohol intake. Only AUDIT scores were significantly associated with CDT scores, and there were no significant associations between excessive alcohol consumption and disease severity. On all measures, men were significantly more likely to misuse alcohol than women.
The team notes: "Based on our results, we propose that all patients with moderate to severe psoriasis should be screened with the AUDIT questionnaire."
They add: "As dermatologists, we have the opportunity to identify alcohol misuse early in our patients with psoriasis, who are a high-risk group. This could facilitate prevention of the myriad of potential complications."
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