Psoriasis and risk of venous thromboembolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Several chronic inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, have been shown to increase venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk but the data on psoriasis is unclear. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies that reported odds ratio, relative risk, hazard ratio or standardized incidence ratio comparing VTE risk in patients with psoriasis vs. non-psoriasis participants. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random effect, generic inverse variance method. Result: Four studies were identified and included in our data analysis. The pooled risk ratio of VTE in patients with psoriasis was 1.46 (95% CI, 1.29-1.66). The statistical heterogeneity of this meta-analysis was high with an I-2 of 86%. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated a statistically significant increased VTE risk among patients with psoriasis.