Psoriasis

Findings appeared this month in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Biologics have become the standard of care for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that fails to respond adequately to conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic agents (DMARDs), and overall, these agents are safe and effective. However, an association between treatment with anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents and new-onset psoriasis in patients with RA has been observed.

A psoriasis researcher discusses a new class of psoriasis treatments.

“Our data suggest that people with central obesity, insulin resistance, and active psoriasis are the most at risk for liver fibrosis,” wrote the authors, and “if use of methotrexate is a risk factor, it is not the only risk factor and for most patients it is unlikely to be the most important risk factor.”

A recent review of biomarkers of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) showed more severe atherosclerotic disease compared with patients who have only psoriasis.

During a recent meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists, a team of researchers from the United Kingdom reported on a systematic review of literature on adults exposed to biologics during conception and/or pregnancy, and they report that they did not find increased risk to the fetus following maternal or paternal biologic exposure.

Biologic treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis was linked with reduced coronary inflammation as determined by a new imaging biomarker, according to a study published in JAMA Cardiology.

In a study presented at the British Association of Dermatologists’ 99th Annual Meeting in Liverpool, United Kingdom, July 2-4, 2019, researchers from the University of Manchester and the Salford Royal National Health Service Foundation Trust reported on an effort to assess evidence on the risk of cancer in patients with psoriasis. They found that there are a number of site-specific cancers for which patients with psoriasis are at elevated risk.

Therapeutic drug monitoring that includes the measurement of trough concentrations and anti-drug antibodies, along with clinical response, is a tool for clinical decision making.

Given that psoriatic arthritis is associated with increased fracture risk, neutralizing the key proinflammatory and bone-destructive mediators of the disease, wrote the authors, appears to be important to restoring bone health.

While obesity is frequently observed in patients with psoriatic disease, it is even more common in those who have only psoriasis alone, researchers said.

The use of biologics to treat psoriasis has increased over time, and a recent study has demonstrated that these drugs may have benefits that extend well beyond clearing patients’ skin. The study, published in Cardiovascular Research, found that biologic therapy for psoriasis was associated with a reduction in coronary artery disease.

Patients with psoriasis frequently use complementary and alternative medicines to treat their symptoms.

A recent study used Mendelian randomization, which uses genetic variants to randomly allocate individuals to groups based on genotype, to further investigate the causal relationship between body mass index (BMI) and psoriasis. It found that as BMI rises, so too does the risk for developing psoriasis.

A recent study examined prescription claims databases to determine treatment patterns of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who started therapy with 1 of 5 drugs by later status of whether they had psoriatic arthritis or not.

Psoriasis might increase the risk of migraine, according to a recently published study, which theorized that the link involves inflammatory processes.

A review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences highlights existing knowledge gaps in understanding the safety and impact of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α inhibitors in pregnant women suffering from inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and rhaumatoid arthritis.

A systematic review of biologics used in to treat palmoplantar psoriasis and palmoplantar pustulosis, 2 diseases that affect the palms and the soles of feet, found several available biologics are at least 80% effective in 1 form of the disease, but that there is less data on how well these drugs work on other forms of the disease.

New vaccine demonstrated positive results in treating psoriasis and cat allergy models, and may have potential to protect against Alzheimer disease.

Individuals with psoriasis face a greater risk of dying because of an alcohol-related death compared with people in the general population, according to recent research.

Psoriasis has a significant presence, affecting about 125 million people globally, but current estimates are fragmented because of a lack of a global standard. A new report suggested that global data will need a standardized approach of collection and analysis in order for more accurate estimates of psoriasis’ presence.

Psoriasis severity has been linked to increased risk of death in a new study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Researchers found that the risk of death increased for patients who had more surface area covered by psoriasis.

Psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease, is often linked to many comorbidities that affect treatment decisions and the overall management of the disorder, according to new research.