Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Associated With Psoriasis

According to a study published in Frontiers in Medicine, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) levels were associated with an increased risk of psoriasis in women.

Researchers aimed to investigate the association between RDW and psoriasis among US adults using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2009 and 2014. The study included 14,089 participants, and psoriasis status was determined through self-reported questionnaires.

The results revealed a noteworthy association between higher RDW levels and an increased risk of psoriasis in female participants after adjusting for confounding variables (OR = 1.10 [95% CI, 1.01, 1.19]; P = 0.025). However, in male participants, no significant association was observed between RDW and the risk of psoriasis (OR = 0.99 [95% CI, 0.87, 1.15]; P = 0.992).

Furthermore, subgroup and interaction analyses indicated that the most robust positive association was predominantly observed in female participants with a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 29.9 kg/m² (OR = 1.20 [95% CI, 1.09, 1.32], P = 0.004). These findings suggest a gender-specific relationship between RDW and psoriasis, with a heightened risk in women, particularly those with a higher BMI.

“In conclusion, we found that increased RDW levels were associated with an increased risk of psoriasis in females, which could provide clinicians with auxiliary data for the early diagnosis of psoriasis,” the authors concluded.

Reference
Zhang Y, Lv Z, Peng P, Zhao T. Association between red blood cell distribution width and psoriasis among the US adults. Front Med (Lausanne). Published online December 21, 2023. doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1290514