Despite the fact that patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and despite demonstration of high cardiac risk by the presence of carotid plaque, a recent study found that implementation of preventative cardiovascular services and rates of statin and antiplatelet use by PsA patients remained low. Researchers evaluated 87 PsA patients who underwent carotid duplex ultrasound screening. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors, medication use, and rates of utilization of preventative cardiology services were compared between patients with and without plaque. They found:

• Carotid plaque was identified in 34 of 87 (39%) PsA patients.

• Age and triglyceride levels were predictors of plaque presence.

• Patients with plaque trended towards higher rates of smoking and diabetes and higher LDL levels.

• Only 9 out of 87 (10%) patients completed at least 1 preventative cardiology visit after enrollment despite referral.

• Low use of statin (21%) and antiplatelet (27%) medication was observed.

Citation: Lucke M, Messner W, Kim ESH, Husni ME. The impact of identifying carotid plaque on addressing cardiovascular risk in psoriatic arthritis. [Published online ahead of print August 2, 2016]. Arthritis Res Ther. doi:10.1186/s13075-016-1074-2.