Apremilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, has shown promise to have a potential beneficial metabolic effect. We conducted a single-centre retrospective study on adult patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who underwent apremilast treatment over at least 12 and 52 weeks, respectively. Baseline characteristics, weight, lipid profile, and fasting glucose levels were collected at baseline and at 12, 24, and 52 weeks. Furthermore, we conducted a narrative review of the current scientific knowledge on the metabolic effects of apremilast in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. We observed a significant reduction in average weight and body mass index (BMI) in patients treated with apremilast in both the initial and the subgroup analysis, a significant reduction in triglycerides levels at 24 and 52 weeks, and a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels at 52 weeks, whereas there were no significant changes in total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations over the 52-week treatment period. These findings suggest a potential positive impact of apremilast on both weight management and lipid profile in individuals with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in the medium-long term.
Keywords: HDL; apremilast; cholesterol; comorbidities; lipid profile; metabolic effect; psoriasis; psoriatic arthritis; triglycerides; weight.