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Vigorous Exercise Might Keep Psoriasis at Bay

Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 21 – Women who exercise vigorously may be reducing their risk of psoriasis, Harvard University researchers report. Psoriasis is an immune disorder that causes inflammation and scaly patches on the skin. Vigorous activity for up to three hours a week can potentially reduce the risk by 25 percent to 30 percent, the researchers said. "Exercise is a modifiable risk factor. Here is another reason to change lifestyle and exercise," said lead researcher Dr. Abrar Qureshi, vice chairman of the department of dermatology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston. "Most interesting was our finding that intensity of exercise was linked to psoriasis risk, where less vigorous physical activity such as walking was not associated with a lower risk for new-onset psoriasis," he said. The report was published in the May 21 online edition of the Archives of Dermatology. For the study, ... Read more

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Gene Behind Psoriasis Identified, Researchers Say

Posted 19 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 19 – Scientists say they've identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, known as plaque psoriasis. "We have searched for almost two decades to find a single gene linked to plaque psoriasis," study senior author Anne Bowcock, professor of genetics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a university news release. "Individually, the rare mutations we have found likely confer a high risk for the disease, and we think they will be important in the search to find new, more effective treatments." In conducting the study, researchers used cutting-edge DNA technology to uncover a rare mutation in the CARD14 gene in a large family of European descent with a high prevalence of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They also found the mutation among multiple members of an extended family from Taiwan who had the ... Read more

Related support groups: Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis

New Psoriasis Drugs Not Much Better Than Standard Therapy, Study Finds

Posted 19 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 19 – Newer, more expensive medications don't work much better for the chronic inflammatory skin disease known as psoriasis than the standard treatment, a new study indicates. The researchers found that biologics, which can cost upwards of $10,000 a year, were slightly more effective than a standard drug treatment for psoriasis, methotrexate, but that their impact lessened over time. The findings provide only limited hope for psoriasis sufferers, who sometimes stop traditional treatments because of nausea and other bad reactions. "When one looks at the outcome as being clear, or almost clear [skin], the biologics appear to be more effective than methotrexate," said study author Dr. Joel Gelfand. But, when total body surface area affected by the disease is added in that difference diminishes, he said. The study, published in the April issue of the Archives of Dermatology, ... Read more

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Two Experimental Drugs Could Improve Psoriasis Treatment

Posted 28 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 28 – A new type of treatment may be on the horizon for people with moderate to severe cases of the chronic skin condition known as psoriasis. Two studies, published in the March 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found that drugs that interfere with an immune system molecule called interleukin-17 (IL-17) led to significant improvements in skin lesions for more than 75 percent of patients over a 12-week period. Both studies were phase 2 clinical trials, which researchers conduct to determine the safest and most effective dose. The drugs next have to be tested in more people over a longer period of time. Although the effectiveness of IL-17 inhibitors seems similar to that of other biologic drugs for psoriasis that are already on the market, such as Enbrel and Stelara, these drugs could offer patients more and possibly safer options, said Dr. Craig Leonardi, ... Read more

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Coffee Doesn't Affect Psoriasis Risk After All, Researchers Say

Posted 23 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 23 – Although earlier studies had linked coffee to an increased risk for psoriasis, a large new study finds no such evidence. Psoriasis is a common skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation. Most people with psoriasis have areas of thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called scales. "Our hypothesis was whether caffeine would lower the risk of psoriasis because there are hypotheses in the past that caffeine might be an anti-inflammatory," said lead author Dr. Abrar Qureshi, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "However, we found there was no association between coffee intake and the risk of psoriasis," he said. These findings agree with other studies that found no association between coffee and this skin condition, the researchers noted. The reason that there has been an association of psoriasis with coffee may ... Read more

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Psoriasis Patients May Face Higher Heart Risk

Posted 16 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 16 – People with the painful skin condition psoriasis may be at increased risk for health problems that affect the heart, an expert says. Excessive inflammation is a major feature of psoriasis. Chronic inflammation is also a characteristic of insulin resistance, obesity, abnormal cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease, said Dr. Joel Gelfand, an assistant professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia. Gelfand noted that recent studies have linked these serious medical conditions with psoriasis and it's important for psoriasis patients – particularly those with severe psoriasis – to monitor themselves for signs of these diseases. The recent studies included research on more than 4,000 patients that found that the more surface area of skin affected by psoriasis, the more likely a patient is to ... Read more

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Smoking Linked to Higher Rate of Psoriasis: Study

Posted 2 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 2 – Smokers are at higher risk of developing the autoimmune skin condition psoriasis than nonsmokers, a new study finds, possibly because smoking pushes the body's immune system into overdrive, one expert suggests. The research doesn't directly prove that smoking causes psoriasis, and the wide majority of smokers would avoid developing the condition even if they faced an increased risk. Still, the findings provide yet another reason for smokers to drop the habit, said study co-author Dr. Abrar Qureshi, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School. "It behooves us even more to advise individuals who are smoking to quit," he said, especially because psoriasis itself is linked to higher risks of diabetes and heart attacks. Psoriasis, which tends to occur in adulthood, causes itchy and painful patches of thick, scaly and reddened or whitened skin. The ... Read more

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New Guidelines for Treating Psoriasis When Pregnant or Nursing

Posted 2 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Dec. 2 – Topical treatment with moisturizers and emollients such as petroleum jelly should be the first line of therapy for treating psoriasis in pregnant and breast-feeding women, according to new recommendations from the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board based in Portland, Ore. These products should be tried first because they cause no known adverse effects. Psoriasis, a chronic skin disease, affects as many as 7.5 million Americans. It usually appears as red, scaly patches that may itch and bleed. "Treating psoriasis in women who are pregnant or breast-feeding presents special challenges due to the side effects of certain medications and the ethical concerns of placing this patient population in clinical trials," Dr. Mark Lebwohl, chair of the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board, said in a foundation news release. "It's important for women to work with ... Read more

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Psoriasis Treatment's Convenience May Be Key for Patients

Posted 21 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Nov. 21 – Many people with the skin disease psoriasis put a higher value on a treatment that suits their lifestyle than on out-of-pocket costs and side effects, a new German study finds. As many as 7.5 million Americans have the chronic skin condition, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. The most common type is plaque psoriasis, characterized by raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells. Management of the disease can be frustrating, and many patients object to different facets of treatment, which can involve light-based therapy, creams, pills or systemic medications given by injection or intravenously. Treatment doesn't work if you don't use it, said Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who is familiar with the study. "People want to control their own destiny. If someone doesn't want to do ... Read more

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Does Psoriasis Thwart the Benefits of 'Good' Cholesterol?

Posted 17 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Nov. 17 – Inflammation caused by psoriasis may trigger changes in a person's cholesterol, including weakening the function of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good" cholesterol, new research suggests. The researchers said that, if confirmed, their findings could help explain why people with psoriasis – a chronic skin condition – are at greater risk for heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, especially if the psoriasis is moderate to severe. "Anecdotally, many researchers have observed that HDL levels may be lower in states of inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and even obesity," study author Dr. Nehal Mehta, director of the Inflammatory Risk Clinic in the preventive cardiology program at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a university news release. "However, these new findings suggest that in addition to lower levels, chronic inflammation ... Read more

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Experimental Psoriasis Drug Bests Older Treatment

Posted 26 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 26 – An experimental psoriasis treatment performed significantly better than the commonly prescribed medication methotrexate in a new clinical trial. The drug briakinumab reduced psoriasis symptoms by at least 75 percent in nearly 82 percent of those taking it, compared to just 40 percent of those on methotrexate. But serious side effects were more common among the briakinumab users. "Very high levels of response" were observed and maintained throughout the study period, said lead researcher Dr. Kristian Reich, a professor of dermatology at the University of Gottingen and a managing partner at Dermatologikum Hamburg, both in Germany. Results of the study are published in the Oct. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study was funded by the drug's manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories. Psoriasis affects about 5 million Americans, according to the U.S. ... Read more

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1 in 4 With Psoriasis May Have Undiagnosed Arthritis

Posted 13 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Oct. 13 – Nearly one in four Americans with the chronic skin condition known as psoriasis may also have undiagnosed psoriatic arthritis, according to a new study. This is in addition to the 2 million people in the United States who have been diagnosed with the disease, a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the joints and tendons and can lead to joint destruction and disability. For the study, the National Psoriasis Foundation conducted phone and online interviews of 477 people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The investigators found that 22 percent of the participants who had been diagnosed with psoriasis-only had significant symptoms of psoriatic arthritis: joint pain, pain that shifts from one joint to the other, joints that felt hot to the touch and very swollen fingers and toes. Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the United States, affecting ... Read more

Related support groups: Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis

Kids With Psoriasis Get Inconsistent Care

Posted 21 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 – How children are treated for psoriasis may depend on whether they see a pediatrician, dermatologist or internist, a new study suggests. About 1 percent of children from birth to age 18 are affected by psoriasis, a skin condition that can lead to patches of itchy, flaky, dry skin. Researchers from University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and colleagues examined records from physicians on their pediatric psoriasis patients who scheduled visits over the course of nearly three decades. Of 3.8 million visits, about 63 percent of kids saw a dermatologist; 17 percent saw a pediatrician; and 14 percent went to an internist. Researchers found that pediatricians, dermatologists and internists often take different approaches to how they treat children with psoriasis, including what types of medication they use and how strong it is. "Management of psoriasis ... Read more

Related support groups: Psoriasis, Clobetasol, Fluocinonide, Clobex, Kenalog, Desoximetasone, Desonide, Elocon, Topicort, Lidex, Halog, Olux, Protopic, Cloderm, Beta-Val

Scientists Close in on Origins of Psoriasis, Eczema

Posted 20 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, July 20 – Psoriasis and eczema both cause red, scaly skin rashes, but the similarities between the two common, distressing conditions typically end there. And now, examining patients suffering from both ailments (a very rare phenomenon), German scientists have teased out the opposing immune system responses that prompt skin flare-ups for both diseases. They believe the findings could one day lead to more targeted, effective treatments. The study, published in the July 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated three patients with both psoriasis and eczema and noted that the T-cells – types of white blood cells that fight infection – found in psoriasis lesions differed from those found in eczema lesions. The findings suggest that these T-cells migrate to the skin in response to distinct environmental triggers, not that the skin cells themselves are abnormal ... Read more

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Study Sees Link Between Psoriasis, Obesity in Kids

Posted 20 May 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, May 20 – The prevalence of psoriasis – a chronic, inflammatory disease of the skin – is significantly higher among overweight and obese kids, researchers have found. The Kaiser Permanente study, published online in the Journal of Pediatrics, also found that teens with psoriasis (regardless of their body weight) have higher cholesterol levels, putting them at greater risk for heart disease. "This study suggests a link between obesity and psoriasis in children," the study's lead author Corinna Koebnick, research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California's Department of Research & Evaluation, said in a Kaiser Permanente news release. "But our study findings also suggest that the higher heart disease risk for patients with psoriasis starts in childhood in the form of higher cholesterol levels. We may need to monitor youth with psoriasis more closely for ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Psoriasis

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