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Low use of preventative services, medication to lower cardiovascular risk found among patients with PsA
Investigators of this study found 10% of patients with psoriatic arthritis went to a preventative cardiology appointment after being referred for services and about a quarter of patients used statins or antiplatelet medications.
Researchers performed carotid duplex ultrasound screening for the presence of plaque in 87 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). With electronic health records, investigators generated preventive cardiology referrals for all the patients. Patients with plaque and those without plaque were compared for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, medication use and rates of preventive cardiology services used.
Results showed 34 patients had carotid plaque. Investigators noted predictors of plaque presence included patient age and triglyceride levels. Higher rates of smoking and diabetes and higher LDL levels were seen in patients with plaque. Overall, nine patients completed at least one visit with preventive cardiology services after enrollment in the study and receiving a referral.
According to researchers, there was low statin and antiplatelet medication use. Biologic medication use for PsA was higher compared with other studies with similar patient groups that also had carotid plaque. Investigators found no link between disease duration or activity and the presence of carotid plaque. ‒ by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosure: The study was supported by a grant from the National Psoriasis Foundation and the Arthritis National Research Foundation.