50 Percent of Psoriasis Patients Dissatisfied Over Treatments

By Julie S | Aug 24, 2013 10:13 AM EDT

A new study shows that 50 percent of patients with psoriasis are dissatisfied with the treatment they are getting for their skin condition.

Dr. April Armstrong, lead author of the study and a dermatologist at the University of California, Davis wrote in the report that in comparison to other chronic skin conditions, patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are in greater risk of not receiving ample treatment.

The researchers surveyed more than 5,000 patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in 2003 to 2011 about their medication and satisfaction in collaboration with the National Psoriasis Foundation.

Each patient were given a questionnaire to fill out and each response was tabulated by the team. The survey revealed that nine and 30 percent of roughly 1,900 patients, depending on the year, with severe psoriasis were unhappy and found the medications ineffective in improving their skin condition, with greater number for mild to moderate psoriasis.

According to results, 50 percent of patients with psoriasis and 45 percent of patients with psoriatic arthritis claimed being not contented with their treatment.

Particularly in 2008, side effects can be blamed why 25 percent ceased taking newer injectable and intravenous drugs, 17 percent noted absence of positive effects and five percent reported inability to secure insurance coverage for the “biologic medications” like adalimumab (Humira) and etanercept (Enbrel).

Dr. Will Taylor, a rehabilitation medicine specialist who researches psoriatic arthritis at the University of Otago in Wellington, New Zealand told Reuters that taking into account the number of patients who ceased taking “biologic medications,” which are the latest and most efficient for treating severe psoriasis, better treatments are still necessary.

Dr. Armstrong said in a letter to Reuters that severe psoriasis is related to increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and cardiovascular deaths. Psoriatic patients are also prone to depression and suicide.

However, the researchers established a common view that psoriasis differs widely from patient to patient and treatment should be suited to individual needs.

This report about Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis was published in JAMA Dermatology.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 percent of psoriasis cases lead to a form of arthritis related to the condition called psoriatic diseases. Approximately seven million adults in the U.S. are affected by psoriasis and can be treated with oral pills, topical creams and light therapy.