CKD, glomerulonephritis risk higher for those with psoriasis

(HealthDay)—Psoriasis is associated with a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and glomerulonephritis (GN), according to a study published online Dec. 15 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

H.-Y. Chiu, from the National Taiwan University in Taipei, and colleagues identified 4,344 patients with psoriasis for the study cohort and randomly selected 13,032 subjects to serve as controls. Each subject was followed for a five-year period to identify subsequent development of GN and CKD.

The researchers found that psoriasis was independently associated with an increased risk of CKD during the follow-up period (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28), after adjusting for traditional CKD risk factors. This association may be partly explained by the increased incidence of GN in psoriasis patients (HR, 1.50). The increased risk of CKD and GN was seen in patients with both mild and severe psoriasis, compared with the control cohort. The risk increased with severity. Psoriasis patients with arthritis had a higher risk of CKD compared to patients without arthritis (HR, 1.62 and 1.26, respectively). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) had the strongest association of any medications with CKD in patients with psoriasis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.69).

"Psoriasis was associated with a higher risk of developing CKD and GN," the authors write. "High severity, psoriatic arthritis involvement, and concomitant NSAID use further increased the risk of CKD in patients with psoriasis."

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.