Psoriasis patients more prone to thyroid diseases, finds new study

Taiwan: Psoriasis patients are at higher risk of developing thyroid diseases including hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, and specific autoimmune thyroid disease (Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), according to a new study.

Findings of the study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, may be helpful in risk stratification for thyroid disease in patients with psoriatic disease. Endocrinological consultation may be offered to psoriasis patients with thyroid symptoms.

Also Read: ACR and NPF release Joint guideline for psoriatic arthritis

The association between psoriasis and thyroid diseases has been uncertain. Ching-Chi Chi, Department of Dermatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan, and colleagues conducted this cohort study to examine the risk of thyroid diseases in psoriasis patients.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory musculoskeletal disease commonly found in psoriasis patients. It can quickly lead to irreversible joint damage, functional limitation and quality-of-life impairment. Psoriasis is a skin disease that appearance of red, scaly patches on the skin.

The researchers used Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database to conduct a nationwide cohort study. The study involved 13,266 patients with psoriatic arthritis (mean age, 43.17 years), 149,576 with psoriasis alone (mean age, 45.11 years), and 162,842 without psoriasis (mean age, 44.95 years).

Also Read: Dietary recommendations for reducing severity of Psoriasis , Psoriatic Arthritis : JAMA

Key Findings:

• Compared with individuals without psoriasis, those with psoriasis arthritis and psoriasis had increased risk for:
  
  
  
  • Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: aHR, 2.09 (95% CI, 1.34-3.24) and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.18-1.82), respectively;
  
  
  • Grave’s disease: aHR, 1.38 (95% CI, 1.07-1.79) and 1.26 (95% CI, 1.13-1.41), respectively;
  
  
  • thyroiditis: aHR, 2.05 (95% CI, 1.51-2.77) and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.22-1.64), respectively;
  
  
  • incident hypothyroidism: aHR, 1.74 (95% CI, 1.34-2.27) and 1.38 (95% CI, 1.23-1.56), respectively;
  
  
  • incident hyperthyroidism: aHR, 1.32 (95% CI, 1.07-1.65) and 1.22 (95% CI, 1.11-1.33), respectively.
  
  
  
  

"People with psoriatic disease are associated with increased incident thyroid diseases including hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, Grave’s disease, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Endocrinological consultation may be considered when psoriasis patients present with thyroid symptoms," concluded the authors.

For further reference log on to https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2018.11.049