Over 125m people worldwide affected with psoriasis

Islamabad:Psoriasis drastically affects the everyday lives of patients as it victimizes more than 125 million people worldwide.

The Pakistan Psoriasis Foundation report states that in an analysis of survey data from 5,000 psoriasis patients, 20% of women said psoriasis was a massive problem in their everyday lives, compared to only 12 % of men. In addition, approximately 60 % of women said psoriasis interferes with their ability to enjoy life, as compared to only 52 per cent of men. Overall, women have greater difficulty dealing with the psychological and social issues brought about by having psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease clinically evident as raised inflamed scaly red skin lesions that crack and itch. International Psoriasis Day is observed globally on October 29 to increase awareness of one of the most important skin problems. Psoriasis sufferers feel that people in general, including doctors, underestimate the overall impact the disease has on their lives. It is evident that the disease burden of psoriasis extends beyond the physical symptoms experienced by the patient.

“Health professional and the general public should not minimize its impact as skin disorders are often chronic but not life threatening but they severely affect the mental well-being of patients. Psychologists who know the impact of the mental anxiety should come forward to help patients,” opined Dr. Koukab Gulzar, Consultant Dermatologist at KRL Hospital.

Psoriasis can also cause inflammation of the joints, which is known as psoriatic arthritis. One-third of psoriatic patients have psoriatic arthritis. The risk for diabetes mellitus rises substantially in patients with psoriasis, with a 62% increase in risk noted in patients with severe psoriasis. Psoriasis appears to have a greater impact on women’s lives and early cardiovascular deaths have been reported in psoriatic patients. Skin problems are generally the most common diseases seen in primary care settings all over the globe and its prevalence ranges from 20-50% in developing countries.

Psoriasis has a bimodal age of disease onset. The first peak is around 20 and the second peak is around 60. Around one-third of patients are under the age of 18 years. It is said that psoriasis has a genetic basis, as 23.4% to 71% of children will have a family history of psoriasis.