Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a chronic inflammatory arthritis affecting 20%–30% of the patients with psoriasis (PsO), is strongly associated with obesity. Obesity, particularly excess visceral adiposity, is associated with insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, which together are termed the “metabolic syndrome.” These metabolic disorders increase the risk of development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), characterized by defects in insulin secretion and peripheral insulin resistance.
Inflammation links PsA to DM Subclinical chronic inflammation has been reported as an independent risk factor for the development of DM. High levels of inflammatory markers – WBC counts, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and proinflammatory cytokines – predict the development of DM in diverse human populations independently of the initial degree of insulin resistance and…
