Homocysteine, a Biomarker of Cardiovascular Diseases, in Psoriasis–A Case Control Study

For atherosclerotic and cardiovascular diseases, stroke and peripheral arterial disease, hyperhomocysteinemia has been seen to be an independent marker. Psoriasis being a chronic inflammatory disease is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular events. Hyperhomocysteinemia in psoriasis plays an important role in these events. Our study aims to investigate serum homocysteine levels in patients of psoriasis. Thirty patients of different severity of psoriasis (calculated with body surface area (BSA) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score) were investigated for serum levels of homocysteine. Thirty controls were also studied for the same investigations. Serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in psoriasis patients compared to control group (p<0.05). This may explain the excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in psoriasis.