2553 – Eating Disorders in Psoriatic Patients

Abstract

Introduction:

Psoriasis is a multifactorial chronic infiammatory skin disease that often occurs in patients with overweight or obesity; obesity makes psoriasis less susceptible to therapy and a moderate weight loss improves drug response. Many studies shows connections between obesity and eating disorders, but few studies investigated the link between eating disorders and psoriasis.

Objectives:

To evaluate the presence of eating disorders and psychopathological traits in patients affected by psoriasis compared with a control population, and correlate this data with different features of cutaneous disease and BMI.

Aims:

To suggest the importance of a psychological support that could reduce the occurrence of loss of control over food.

Methods:

We enrolled 100 consecutive psoriatic outpatients and a control group of 100 selected non psoriatic outpatients, matched by BMI to the study group. The assessment battery was composed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, the EDI and SCL-90R.

Results:

Most of EDI and SCL-90R subscales resulted more altered in psoriatic population compared to the controls (p < .001 for IA and ID, and p < .05 for GSI). Moreover, we noticed an association between the progressive weight gain and the impairment of most of EDI subscales, indicating the presence of an ED in only psoriasis group (p < .01).

Conclusion:

Psoriasis is associated with psychopathological traits and symptoms commonly associated with eating disorders. A multidisciplinary approach could have an important role to reduce the loss of control over food, to loss weight and to improve the drug response.