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International cooperation is essential to improve treatment for psoriasis, advance wider care and increase awareness.
Psoriasis is a long recognised disease but misconceptions remain, such as the view that psoriasis is a rare condition, when around 1 in 50 people are affected. In 2020, a research project focused on clarifying other aspects.
This study was led by staff from Manchester University, the centre of the Global Psoriasis Atlas, a collaborative venture of specialist bodies across the globe. The data used would be equally international.
After a wide search and quality evaluation, 90 studies from 22 countries were chosen. The team looked at other established beliefs, that men, or women are equally affected and that psoriasis is more common in later years.
Overall Results
Data on childhood psoriasis was limited, an uncommon condition for children but not unknown. A still low incidence was seen to increase from early years to teens, with no notable difference in rates between boys and girls, except for odd exceptions.
The study focused on sound data but could not take into account environmental, or genetic factors. For those and other reasons, there can be outliers.
In adults, the view that men and women are equally likely to have psoriasis was not contradicted. Overall, there is a slightly higher incidence in men, although onset tends to happen a few years earlier for women.
In both cases, a bimodal pattern became clear, with peaks occurring at around 30 to 40 and 60 to 70. There was a degree of geographic variation on age ranges but the principle applied across the globe.
In most cases, the condition waned in later years, as had happened between the age related peaks. Valuable to confirm there are periods of recovery, building further knowledge on this will help to provide tailored care.
Using The Outcome
Alongside specific results, studies such as the one mentioned help to explore trends in psoriasis over time. This contributes to understanding personal and economic outcomes, which in turn inform policy decisions.
Ensuring those decisions ultimately bring good treatment is important, for a disease which is a burden and may affect more than the skin. Symptoms can show in the nails and hair, or through the arrival of psoriatic arthritis.
Further studies are required, where possible using standardized methodology across countries. The Global Psoriasis Atlas has made inroads into this and will continue with further research.
Alongside more granular studies on age, or gender, we need to understand what might drive increased incidence in particular locations. The root of psoriasis itself can ultimately become clearer.
We understand this is likely to be an immune system problem but further clarity on how the condition is triggered would be useful. Not least for a condition which causes significant anxiety and is linked to the worsening of other illnesses.
Whether fitting patterns, or a unique case, our wish is to provide every patient with the best possible treatment for psoriasis. The input researchers can give to achieving improved outcomes is welcomed.