The link between chronic spontaneous urticaria and metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and is considered a chronic low-level systemic inflammatory condition. Recent preliminary findings have shown an increased prevalence of MS among patients with chronic urticaria (CU) as compared to controls, with a particularly higher prevalence detected in patients with uncontrolled CU. Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) appears to share some pathomechanisms with MS, including a pro-inflammatory state, increased oxidative stress, alterations in adipokine profile and activation of the coagulation system. Further studies are needed to assess the association of MS and its components with CU/CSU and to obtain more precise information regarding epidemiological aspects, clinical significance and implications. The aim of this review is to present the most relevant literature data on the link between CU/CSU and MS.