MedWire News: Levels of serum homocysteine, a recognised cardiovascular risk factor, correlate with the severity of psoriasis symptoms in patients with the condition, research indicates.

“Unfavourable cardiovascular profile in psoriasis patients is of great importance,” say S Çakmak (Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Turkey) and colleagues.

“Prospective, enlarged studies are needed to estimate the role of homocysteine in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in psoriasis patients and to take measures in prevention.”

The team found that serum homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12 levels did not differ significantly between 70 psoriasis patients and 70 age- and gender-matched controls.

However, homocysteine levels in the psoriasis patients correlated significantly and positively with their Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores, which ranged from 0.6 to 29.7 (median 5.8).

Homocysteine levels correlated inversely with folic acid levels in the psoriasis patients, but did not relate to vitamin B12 levels. The duration of psoriasis was not associated with homocysteine, folic acid or vitamin B12 levels.

“Dietary improvement or a short-term supplementation with folic acid and antioxidant vitamins might be suggested to psoriasis patients to prevent coronary cardiovascular disease by lowering blood homocysteine levels,” say the researchers.

The findings are published advance online by the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

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