| Title | Cardiovascular risk evaluation through heart rate variability analysis in psoriatic patients before and after 24 weeks of etanercept therapy: Prospective study. | ||
| Author | Potenza, Concetta; Raimondi, Gianfranco; Pampena, Riccardo; Proietti, Ilaria; Viola, Giorgio La; Bernardini, Nicoletta; Tolino, Ersilia; Zuber, Sara; Balduzzi, Veronica; Scordamaglia, Beatrice; Skroza, Nevena | ||
| Journal | J Int Med Res | Publication Year/Month | 2016-Sep |
| PMID | 27683138 | PMCID | PMC5536535 |
| Affiliation + expend | 1.Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Division of Dermatology "Daniele Innocenzi", University of Rome "La Sapienza", Polo Pontino, Italy concetta.potenza@uniroma1.it. | ||
OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of etanercept, an anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha agent, on autonomic cardiovascular regulation in young patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis without cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: Patients with psoriasis underwent 5-min electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings before and after 24 weeks of etanercept therapy. Linear heart rate variability (HRV) analysis was performed. RESULTS: The study recruited 19 patients. Frequency-domain analysis showed a significant decrease in oscillatory components attributable to sympathetic activity (LF%) and a significant decrease in low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio following etanercept therapy. CONCLUSION: Treatment with etanercept in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis could affect cardiovascular autonomic regulation, and subsequently reduce cardiovascular risk.