Metabolic syndrome in patients with oral lichen planus and lichen planopilaris: a cross-sectional study

Background: Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. There is conflicting data on the link between LP and metabolic syndrome. This study evaluated the association of chronic subtypes of LP, namely oral lichen planus and lichen planopilaris (LPP), with metabolic syndrome. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 66 patients with oral and follicular LP were evaluated for metabolic syndrome based on the US National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria and were compared against 66 healthy controls. Waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and lipid profile were measured for each individual. Results: There was no significant difference in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (13 [19.7%] vs. 8 [12.1%]; P = 0.23) and dyslipidemia (51 [77.3%] vs. 49 [74.2%]; P = 0.68) between the study groups. These findings remained statistically insignificant in both genders. The waist circumference (P = 0.008) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P = 0.02) were significantly higher in the LP group than the healthy individuals. Our data showed that each unit increment in waist circumference and DBP leads to a 4.1% (P = 0.02) and 4.7% (P = 0.03) increase in the chance of LP, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with oral LP and LPP do not have a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome or dyslipidemia than healthy individuals. However, they are more vulnerable to central obesity and high diastolic pressure, for which they should be routinely screened.