StrokeBase: A Database of Cerebrovascular Disease-related Candidate Genes

Kim, Young-Uk,Kim, Il-Hyun,Bang, Ok-Sun,Kim, Young-Joo Korea Genome Organization 2008 Genomics & informatics Vol.6 No.3

Complex diseases such as stroke and cancer have two or more genetic loci and are affected by environmental factors that contribute to the diseases. Due to the complex characteristics of these diseases, identifying candidate genes requires a system-level analysis of the following: gene ontology, pathway, and interactions. A database and user interface, termed StrokeBase, was developed; StrokeBase provides queries that search for pathways, candidate genes, candidate SNPs, and gene networks. The database was developed by using in silico data mining of HGNC, ENSEMBL, STRING, RefSeq, UCSC, GO, HPRD, KEGG, GAD, and OMIM. Forty candidate genes that are associated with cerebrovascular disease were selected by human experts and public databases. The networked cerebrovascular disease gene maps also were developed; these maps describe genegene interactions and biological pathways. We identified 1127 genes, related indirectly to cerebrovascular disease but directly to the etiology of cerebrovascular disease. We found that a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network that was associated with cerebrovascular disease follows the power-law degree distribution that is evident in other biological networks. Not only was in silico data mining utilized, but also 250K Affymetrix SNP chips were utilized in the 320 control/disease association study to generate associated markers that were pertinent to the cerebrovascular disease as a genome-wide search. The associated genes and the genes that were retrieved from the in silico data mining system were compared and analyzed. We developed a well-curated cerebrovascular disease-associated gene network and provided bioinformatic resources to cerebrovascular disease researchers. This cerebrovascular disease network can be used as a frame of systematic genomic research, applicable to other complex diseases. Therefore, the ongoing database efficiently supports medical and genetic research in order to overcome cerebrovascular disease.

일개 대학병원을 대상으로 한 뇌혈관질환의 시간적 변동양상

이미연,이상복,이준행,이삼열,이태수,진계환 한국방사선학회 2007 한국방사선학회 논문지 Vol.1 No.1

연구배경 뇌혈관 질환은 지역 및 인종에 따라 발생양상의 차이를 보이는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러므로 뇌혈관질환 의 진단, 치료, 및 예방적인 목적에 활용하기 위한 특정지역의 발생양상을 파악하는 것은 매우 중요하다. 본 논문에서는 계절별, 성별, 연령별, 출혈성 뇌혈관질환과 허혈성뇌혈관질환 발생양상을 정량적으로 분석 하고자 한다. 방 법 연구대상은 일개 대학교병원 신경외과와 신경과에 출혈성 뇌혈관질환과 허혈성뇌혈관질환으로 입원한 환 자 1603명을 대상으로 하였다. 연구대상 환자에 대해서 뇌혈관질환의 유형, 발생연도, 성별, 뇌혈관질환이 발생한 계절을 조사하였다. 자료의 산술적인 분석은 마이크로소프트사의 엑셀 2003을 이용하였고, t-test 는 MICROCAL사에서 제공하는 ORIGIN 6.0을 이용하였다. 결 과 연구대상 기간인 4년 동안의 출혈성 뇌혈관질환과 허혈성뇌혈관질환의 발생비는 38.55%, 61.45%이었다. 출혈성 뇌혈관질환의 발병 연령의 평균과 표준편차 58.20±12.60이었고, 40대, 50대, 60대, 70대에서 각 각 20% 정도로 비슷하게 발병하였다. 이에 비하여 허혈성뇌혈관질환은 발병 연령의 평균과 표준편차는 65.01±13.59이었고, 출혈성뇌질환에 비하여 평균 연령이 높게 나타났고, 발생 연령분포에서도 60대 15.53%, 70대 37.06%, 80대 27.72%이었다. 출혈성 뇌혈관질환이 발병이 많이 나타난 계절은 겨울, 여름, 봄, 가을 순이었고, 출혈성 뇌혈관질환이 발병이 많이 나타난 계절은 봄, 여름, 겨울, 가을이었다. 일반적으 로 알려진 겨울철 출혈성 뇌혈관질환 많이 나타났다. 출혈성 뇌혈관질환과 허혈성뇌혈관질환 환자의 남녀 비율은 52.09% 47.91%로 나타났다. 결 론 연구대상을 출혈성 뇌혈관질환과 허혈성뇌혈관질환으로 일개 대학교병원에 입원한 환자만을 대상으로 하 였으므로 전체 뇌혈관 질환에 대한 결과를 대변한다고 볼 수 없다. 그러나 의료종사자에게서 일반적으로 알려진 계절별, 성별, 연령별, 출혈성 뇌혈관질환과 허혈성뇌혈관질환 발생비를 통계적으로 분석하였다는 데 연구논문의 의의가 있다. 본 논문에서 출혈성 뇌혈관질환과 허혈성뇌혈관질환의 발생률은 38.55%, 61.45%로 허혈성뇌혈관질환의 비중이 높아지고 있다. 적절한 뇌혈관질환의 예방 및 질환관리계획을 세우 기 위해서는 장기적인 뇌혈관질환의 역학조사가 필요할 것이다. Background Cerebrovascular diseases are known to show different patterns of incidence among regions and races. Therefore, it is very important to determine the incidence pattern of a specific area in order to diagnose, treat and prevent cerebrovascular diseases. The objective of the present study is to analyze quantitatively the incidence ratios of hemorrhagic and ischemic cerebrovascular diseases by season, by gender and by age. Methods The subjects of this study were 1603 patients hospitalized for hemorrhagic or ischemic cerebrovascular diseases at the Department of Neurosurgery or the Department of Neurology of a University Hospital. Statistical analysis of data used Excel 2003 of Microsoft, and t‐test was conducted using ORIGIN 6.0 of MICROCAL. Results In the subjects, the incidence ratios of hemorrhagic and ischemic cerebrovascular diseases for four years, the period of this research, were 38.55% and 61.45%, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of age when hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases occurred were 58.20 and 12.60, respectively, and the percentages of subjects in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s were all around 20%. On the contrary, the mean and standard deviation of age when ischemic cerebrovascular diseases occurred were 65.01 and 13.59, respectively. The average age of patients with ischemic cerebrovascular diseases was older than that of patients with hemorrhagic brain diseases, and the percentages of those in their 60s, 70s and 80s were 15.53%, 37.06% and 27.72%, respectively. The season when hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases appeared most frequently was winter, which was followed by summer, spring and autumn. The season when hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases appeared most frequently was spring, which was followed by summer, winter and autumn. Conclusions In this study, the incidence rates of hemorrhagic and ischemic cerebrovascular diseases were 38.55% and 61.45%, showing the rising percentage of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. For making adequate prevention and disease control plans, it is considered necessary to make a long‐term epidemiological investigation of cerebrovascular diseases.

소규모 사업장 근로자에 대한 뇌,심혈관질환 예방 프로그램 적용 효과

강혜정 ( Hea Jeoung Kang ),문덕환 ( Deog Hwan Moon ) 한국산업위생학회 2013 한국산업보건학회지 Vol.23 No.3

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to prepare fundamental data and assess the short-term effects of applying cerebrovascular disease prevention programs by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency(KOSHA) in Korea. Methods: The number of study subjects was 2,676 workers(58.5%) who were able to evaluate the level of incidence risk at pre- and post-applications of the program, among the 4,576 total workers who were enrolled in the cerebrovascular disease prevention program during 2011. The guidelines for this prevention program were adopted from KOSHA GUIDE H-1-2010. To determine the program`s effectiveness, the workers` risks for cerebrovascular disease were assessed pre- and post-application of the program. Results: The blood pressure level was significantly reduced by 4.09 mmHg for the mean systolic blood pressures and 5.47 mmHg for diastolic blood pressures, respectively. The mean level of total cholesterol and BMI were also reduced significantly by 2.07 g/dl and 0.1 kg/m 2 . The rate of smoking was decreased by 4.0% and the percentage of workers engaging in regular exercise was increased by 29.8%. The level of overall cerebrovascular disease risk was reduced among 1,451(70.7%) of 2,052 workers at low risk and above. The level of cerebrovascular disease risk was lower in the improved group for health behavior than the unimproved group(odds ratio =1.7, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The author considers that the application of the cerebrovascular disease prevention program by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency reduced cerebrovascular diseases risks among workers who were enrolled in the cerebrovascular disease prevention program and it must be accompanied by an improvement in health behavior for prevention of cerebrovascular disease.

지역심뇌혈관질환센터 접근성과 심뇌혈관질환 사망비의 연관성

신한수,노영민,서지우 한국보건사회연구원 2023 保健社會硏究 Vol.43 No.1

Cardio-cerebrovascular diseases have the second-highest mortality rate after cancer. Therefore, the 2nd Master Plans for Public Health and Medical Services, published in 2021, announced a policy to designate 70 local centers for cardio-cerebrovascular diseases by 2025 for appropriate management of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. This study identified medical institutions with the level of capacity necessary to serve as local centers for cardio-cerebrovascular diseases and verified their distribution nationwide. Using the GIS network analysis method, we also determined which of the 70 hospital service areas (HSAs) have difficult access to cardio-cerebrovascular disease centers and examined the effect of access to local cardio-cerebrovascular disease centers on the mortality ratio of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Our analysis found that there were 11 HSAs with poor accessibility to cardio-cerebrovascular disease centers. In particular, the cities of Geochang, Yeongwol, Sokcho, Haenam, and Tongyeong were found to have a vulnerability of more than 80% to access to a cardio-cerebrovascular disease center. Measured in terms of the severity-adjusted mortality ratio, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease was high in Yeongwol, Geochang, Chungju, and Icheon, while the prevalence of cerebrovascular disease was high in Chungju, Geochang, Haenam, and Tongyeong. A comparison of the severity-adjusted mortality ratio for cardio-cerebrovascular diseases between underserved and non-underserved areas showed that the average mortality ratio was greater in underserved areas than in non-underserved area(p<0.05). This study confirmed that the appropriate placement of local cardio-cerebrovascular disease centers could contribute to lowering the mortality ratio of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in HSAs. 심뇌혈관질환은 암 다음으로 사망률이 높은 질환이다. 따라서 2021년 발표된 제2차 공공보건의료 기본계획에서는 심뇌혈관질환의 적절한 관리를 위해 지역심뇌혈관질환센터를 2025년까지 70개소 지정하겠다는 정책을 발표하였다. 본 연구에서는 지역심뇌혈관질환센터로서 기능하기에 적정한 수준의 의료기관을 정의하고, 전국 단위에서 그 분포를 확인하였다. 또한, GIS 네트워크 분석을 통해 70개 중진료권별 심뇌혈관질환센터 접근성 취약지를 도출하였으며, 중증도 보정 사망비와 비교를 통해 지역심뇌혈관질환센터 접근성과 심뇌혈관질환 사망비의 연관성을 파악하였다. 분석 결과 접근성이 취약한 중진료권은 총 11개가 도출되었으며, 특히 거창권, 영월권, 속초권, 해남권, 통영권은 접근성 취약도가 80% 이상으로 매우 취약하였다. 심뇌혈관질환 중증도 보정 사망비의 경우, 심혈관질환은 영월권, 거창권, 충주권, 이천권 순으로 높게 나타났으며, 뇌혈관질환의 경우는 충주권, 거창권, 해남권, 통영권 순으로 높게 나타났다. 접근성 취약지와 비취약지 간 심뇌혈관질환 사망비의 연관성을 분석한 결과, 취약지의 경우 비취약지 보다 사망비의 평균이 높은 것으로 나타났다(p<0.05). 본 연구를 통해 지역심뇌혈관질환센터의 적정 배치가 중진료권의 심뇌혈관질환 사망비를 낮추는 데 기여할 수 있음을 확인할 수 있었다.

StrokeBase: A Database of Cerebrovascular Disease-related Candidate Genes

김영욱,김일현,방옥선,김영주 한국유전체학회 2008 Genomics & informatics Vol.6 No.3

Complex diseases such as stroke and cancer have two or more genetic loci and are affected by environmental factors that contribute to the diseases. Due to the complex characteristics of these diseases, identifying candidate genes requires a system-level analysis of the following: gene ontology, pathway, and interactions. A database and user interface, termed StrokeBase, was developed; StrokeBase provides queries that search for pathways, candidate genes, candidate SNPs, and gene networks. The database was developed by using in silico data mining of HGNC, ENSEMBL, STRING, RefSeq, UCSC, GO, HPRD, KEGG, GAD, and OMIM. Forty candidate genes that are associated with cerebrovascular disease were selected by human experts and public databases. The networked cerebrovascular disease gene maps also were developed; these maps describe genegene interactions and biological pathways. We identified 1127 genes, related indirectly to cerebrovascular disease but directly to the etiology of cerebrovascular disease. We found that a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network that was associated with cerebrovascular disease follows the power-law degree distribution that is evident in other biological networks. Not only was in silico data mining utilized, but also 250K Affymetrix SNP chips were utilized in the 320 control/disease association study to generate associated markers that were pertinent to the cerebrovascular disease as a genome- wide search. The associated genes and the genes that were retrieved from the in silico data mining system were compared and analyzed. We developed a well-curated cerebrovascular disease-associated gene network and provided bioinformatic resources to cerebrovascular disease researchers. This cerebrovascular disease network can be used as a frame of systematic genomic research, applicable to other complex diseases. Therefore, the ongoing database efficiently supports medical and genetic research in order to overcome cerebrovascular disease.

MRI와 MRA를 이용한 허혈성 뇌혈관 질환의 뇌혈관별 분포에 대한 연구

김함겸(Ham-Gyum Kim) 대한방사선과학회(구 대한방사선기술학회) 2010 방사선기술과학 Vol.33 No.3

본 연구에서는 MRI와 MRA를 이용하여 우리나라 사람의 뇌혈관 질환 중 뇌혈관의 파열에 의한 뇌혈관 질환을 제외하고 뇌혈관이 좁아지거나 막힌 허혈성 뇌혈관 질환의 분포(호발부위)를 분석하여 임상에서 활용할 수 있도록 하였다. 뇌혈관이 좁아지거나 막힌 허혈성 뇌혈관 질환만의 분포를 분석한 이유는 뇌혈관의 파열에 의한 출혈성 뇌혈관 질환과 뇌경색(brain infarction) 등 허혈성 뇌혈관 질환의 발생학적 기전 (mechanism)이 다르기 때문이며 그 결과는 아래와 같다. 1. 연구대상자 총 626명 중 성별로는 남자가 55.0%로 여자 45.0%보다 높은 분포를 보였다 2. 위치별 허혈성 뇌혈관 질환의 분포에서 우측 뇌혈관이 37.5%로 가장 많았으며, 좌측 뇌혈관 35.1%, 양쪽 뇌혈관 27.3% 순으로 나타났다. 3. 허혈성 뇌혈관 질환의 뇌혈관 별 분포는 ICA가 38.9%로 가장 많았으며, 다음으로 MCA 35.7%, PCA 13.4%, ACA 6.0%, VA 3.3% 순으로 나타났다. 4. A-com에 질환이 있는 경우는 한 명도 없었으며 P-com 에도 남자 1명만이 발생했다. 5. MCA에는 여자가 54.6%로 남자 42.2%보다 많아, 성별에 따라 통계적으로 유의미한 차이를 보였다(χ 2 = 9.64, p < .01). 6. ICA에서는 남자가 56.4%로 여자 46.8%보다 많아 통계적으로 유의미한 차이를 보였다(χ2=5.71, p < .05). 7. BA에서도 남자가 2.3%로 여자 0.4%보다 많아 성별에 따라 유의미한 차이를 보였다(χ2=4.25, p < .05). 8. 연령에 따른 혈관별 질환의 분포에 대한 차이는 없었으며 협착과 폐색의 분포에서는 폐색보다 협착이 많았다. The purpose of this study was to utilize Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) to analyze intracerebral regional distributions (hot spot) of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases which were characterized by stenosis and occlusion cerebral vasculature, except for cere-brovascular diseases induced by rupture of cerebral vasculature in terms of Korean people's cere-brovascular diseases, so that it could apply the findings of analysis to clinical practices. This study focused only on analyzing intracerebral regional distributions of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases that are charac-terized by stenosis and occlusion cerebral vasculature, because there are different etiologic mechanisms of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases like hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases (caused by rupture of cerebral vasculature) and cerebral infarction (induced by atheromatous arteriosclerosis). As a result, this study could come to the following findings of analysis: 1. According to sex ratio analysis, it was found that male group comprised larger portion of total 626 subjects in this study than female one (55.0% > 45.0%). 2. According to analysis on actual intracerebral regional distributions of ischemic cerebrovascular dis-eases, it was found that most subjects (37.5 %) were attacked by such diseases on the right side of cerebral vasculature, which was followed by left side of cerebral vasculature (35.1%) and bilateral cerebral vasculature (27.3%) respectively. 3. According to analysis on actual intracerebral regional distributions of ischemic cerebrovascular dis-eases, it was found that internal carotid artery (ICA) comprised the largest portion (38.9%) of those distributions, which was followed by middle cerebral artery (MCA, 35.7%), posterior cerebral artery (PCA, 13.4%), anterior cerebral artery (ACA, 6.0%) and vertebral artery (VA, 3.3%) respectively. 4. It was found that there was no subject attacked by any disease on A-com region, and there was only one male subject attacked by cerebrovascular diseases on P-com region. 5. It was found that female group was more susceptible to the attack of cerebrovascular diseases on MCA region than male one (54.6% > 42.2%), which means significant differences depending upon sex on statistical basis (χ 2 = 9.64, p < .01). 6. It was found that male group was more susceptible to the attack of cerebrovascular diseases on ICA region (56.4% > 46.8%), which means significant differences depending upon sex on statistical basis (χ 2 = 5.71, p < .05). 7. Moreover, it was also found that male group was more susceptible to the attack of cerebrovascular diseases on BA region (2.3% > 0.4%), which means significant differences depending upon sex on statistical basis (χ 2 = 4.25, p < .05). 8. However, it was found that there was not any significant difference in intracerebral vasculature-spe-cific distributions of cerebrovascular diseases depending on age of subjects, and stenosis comprised larger portion of cerebrovascular diseases than occlusion.

뇌혈관질환과 심근경색증에 관련된 요인의 비교분석

박종구,김헌주,박금수,이성수,장세진,이은경 연세대학교 원주의과대학 1994 원주의대논문집 Vol.7 No.1

뇌혈관질환에 대한 다빈도 처방 한약의 임상적 유효성 : 후향적 연구

서희정,심소현,권정남,홍진우,이인 대한한방내과학회 2019 大韓韓方內科學會誌 Vol.40 No.6

Objectives: With the aging of the population, the incidence of a variety of diseases is increasing. Cerebrovascular disease is a major cause of mortality worldwide and therefore requires timely treatment and management. We aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of herbal medicines in treating cerebrovascular disease by screening the most frequently prescribed herbal medicines and analyzing the clinical data of patients with cerebrovascular disease taking these medicines. Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the electronic medical records of patients with cerebrovascular disease who received herbal medication at the Pusan National University Korean Medical Hospital from 10 March 2010 to 31 March 2017. The inclusion criteria were as follows: diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease, use of frequently prescribed herbal medicines, available records of laboratory tests and functional evaluation that was conducted within two weeks before and after admission and discharge, and herbal medicine usage exceeding half the period of hospitalization. Results: Of the total patients with cerebrovascular disease, the number of patients analyzed in this study was 49. There were some changes in the various variables examined after frequently used herbal medicines had been taken, such as complete blood count, liver function test, lipid test, and functional evaluation. No serious adverse events related to herbal medicine were found in this study. Conclusions: We concluded that herbal medicines frequently used for cerebrovascular disease may have some clinical effectiveness. However, because of the retrospective nature of this study and only one hospital involved, the generalizability of our findings is limited.

소아뇌졸중의 보험의학적 고찰

안계훈,Ahn, Gye-Hoon 한국생명보험의학회 2010 保險醫學會誌 Vol.29 No.2

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive occlusive disease of the cerebral vasculature with particular involvement of the circle of Willis and the arteries that feed it. MMD is one of cerebrovacular accident,which is treated with sugical maeuver in pediatic neurosurgery. Moyamoya (ie, Japanese for "puff of smoke") characterizes the appearance on angiography of abnormal vascular collateral networks that develop adjacent to the stenotic vessels. The steno-occlusive areas are usually bilateral, but unilateral involvement does not exclude the diagnosis. The exact etiology of moyamoya disease is unknown. Some genetic predisposition is apparent because it is familial 10% of the time. The disease may be hereditary and multifactorial. It may occur by itself in a previously healthy individual. However, many disease states have been reported in association with moyamoya disease, including the following: 1) Immunological - Graves disease/thyrotoxicosis 2) Infections - Leptospirosis and tuberculosis 3) Hematologic disorders - Aplastic anemia, Fanconi anemia, sickle cell anemia, and lupus 4) Congenital syndromes - Apert syndrome, Down syndrome, Marfan syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Turner syndrome, von Recklinghausen disease, and Hirschsprung disease 5) Vascular diseases - Atherosclerotic disease, coarctation of the aorta and fibromuscular dysplasia, 6)cranial trauma, radiation injury, parasellar tumors, and hypertension etc. These associations may not necessarily be causative but do warrant consideration due to impact on treatment.(Mainly neurosurgical operation.) The incidence of moyamoya disease is highest in Japan. The prevalence of MMD is 1 person per 100,000 population. The prevalence and incidence of moyamoya disease in Japan has been reported to be 3.16 cases and 0.35 case per 100,000 people, respectively. With regard to sex, the female-to-male ratio is 1.4:1. A bimodal peak of incidence is noted, with symptoms occurring either in the first decade(5-10yr) or in the third and fourth decades (30-40yr)of life. Mortality rates of moyamoya disease are approximately 10% in adults and 4.3% in children. Death is usually from hemorrhage. In aspect of life insurance, MR is 1700%, EDR is 16 per 1000 persons. Children and adults with moyamoya disease (MMD) may have different clinical presentations. The symptoms and clinical course vary widely from asymptomatic to transient events to severe neurologic deficits. Adults experience hemorrhage more commonly; cerebral ischemic events are more common in children. Children may have hemiparesis, monoparesis, sensory impairment, involuntary movements, headaches, dizziness, or seizures. Mental retardation or persistent neurologic deficits may be present. Adults may have symptoms and signs similar to those in children, but intraventricular, subarachnoid, or intracerebral hemorrhage of sudden onset is more common in adults. Recently increasing diagnosis of MMD with MRI, followed by surgical operation is noted. MMD needs to be considered as the "CI" state now in life insurance fields.

한국인 건선환자에서 심·뇌혈관 질환 및 당뇨병 동반에 관한 후향적 연구

이성율 ( Sung Yul Lee ),최응호 ( Eung Ho Choi ) 대한피부과학회 2012 대한피부과학회지 Vol.50 No.8

Background: Psoriasis is now considered as a medical condition that involves not only the skin, but also the other systemic organs. According to the recent studies, psoriasis, especially, the large plaque type, is suggested as a major risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. However, the prevalence of large plaque type psoriasis is relatively low, among the Asian patients, which leads to a lack of evidence in the population. Objective: This study is performed to evaluate the risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in psoriasis patients. Methods: After thorough research on the past medical records of the psoriasis patients in our institute, we could classify the four types of psoriasis as guttate psoriasis, small plaque type psoriasis, large plaque type psoriasis, and palmoplantar pustulosis. We enrolled 84 psoriasis patients and 100 dermatologically healthy adults. We divided them into two groups, the psoriasis group and the control group; we compared the prevalence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease between the groups. The psoriasis group was separately recorded by their types of psoriasis. We analyzed the inflammation marker and known risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, CRP, ESR, fasting glucose, history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Results: There was no noticeable difference between the types of psoriasis in all parameters. However, there were statistically significant differences between the psoriasis group and the control group in the parameters of ESR, CRP and prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: There was no difference in medical co-morbidities and their risk factors between the groups. However, in the psoriasis group, the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, which count as the risk factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, were higher than the normal control group. Therefore, we suggest that the psoriasis should be considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in Korea.