Subclinical Liver Disease Is Associated with Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Psoriasis: Results from Two Observational Studies

Psoriasis is associated with a higher risk of liver diseases. We investigated the impact of hepatic steatosis (European cohort) and hepatic inflammation (United States cohort) on subclinical atherosclerosis. In the European cohort (n=76 psoriasis participants and 76 controls), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), assessed by the sonographic hepatorenal index (SHRI), was more prevalent in psoriasis than controls (61% vs 45%; p=.04). Psoriasis participants with NAFLD had a higher prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis (ultrasonographic presence of plaque in femoral or carotid arteries) than psoriasis without NAFLD (61% vs 23%; p=.006) and controls with NAFLD (61% vs 32%; p<.05). SHRI was a determinant of subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriasis (OR, 3.5; p=.01). In the United States cohort, (n=162 psoriasis participants who underwent positron emission tomography and coronary CT angiography), those with high hepatic F-FDG uptake had higher noncalcified (1.3 (0.49 mm) vs 1.0 (0.40 mm)), fibrofatty (0.23 (0.15 mm) vs 0.11 (0.087 mm)), and lipid rich necrotic core (4.3 (2.3 mm) vs 3.0 (1.7 mm)) coronary burden (all p<.001,). Hepatic F-FDG uptake associated with noncalcified (β=0.28; p<.001), fibrofatty (β=0.49; p<.001) and lipid rich necrotic core (β=0.28; p=.003) burden. These results demonstrate the downstream cardiovascular effects of subclinical liver disease in psoriasis.