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The following is a summary of “Incidence of metabolic syndrome in psoriasis patients and its correlation with disease activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the May 2025 issue of Frontiers in Medicine by Li et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the link between psoriasis and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and to assess how disease activity influenced the risk of developing MetS.  

They performed a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Embase from their inception through February 8, 2025. Studies eligible for inclusion were case-control, cohort, or cross-sectional, and only those published in English were considered and 2 independent evaluators screened the literature, extracted relevant data, and assessed the risk of bias. Meta-analysis and subgroup analysis were performed using Stata version 17.0 software.  

The results showed that 12 studies were evaluated, including 9,641 individuals with psoriasis and 2,554 with both psoriasis and MetS. The pooled incidence of MetS among those with psoriasis was 26.49% [95% CI (25.61, 27.39%)]. Meta-analysis indicated a higher risk of MetS in individuals with psoriasis compared to controls [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.27, 95% CI (1.21–1.33), P< 0.001]. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that those with severe psoriasis, defined as Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) ≥ 10, had a significantly elevated risk of MetS [OR = 2.25, 95% CI (1.27, 3.99), P< 0.001], suggesting a correlation between higher disease activity and increased MetS risk.  

Investigators concluded that psoriasis was positively correlated with the risk of MetS, and increased disease activity which further elevated this risk 

Source:frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1593003/full