Burden of Skin and Joint Symptoms Examined in Psoriatic Arthritis

In patients with concurrent psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), the presence of joint- and skin-associated symptoms was linked to decreased quality of life and functioning, according to study results published in Rheumatology and Therapy.

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of 439 patients with comorbid psoriasis and PsA, which was performed online, and included participants from the United States, Germany, and France. The investigators collected data on symptom severity, emotional burden of symptoms, and patient demographics, which were used as parameters to assess quality of life. Data was acquired from April 2017 to June 2017.

After statistical analysis, the researchers found that a higher severity of skin and joint symptoms was linked to decreased quality of life (P <.0001). In addition, they reported that the presence of skin- and joint-related symptoms was found to affect further parameters, including activities of daily living, emotional health, and employment productivity.

The primary limitation of the study was the online nature of patient recruitment, which may not accurately characterize this population as a whole.

“Concurrent diagnoses of PsA and [psoriasis] is associated with significant patient burden across multiple outcomes, including [quality of life], and work productivity,” the researchers wrote.

“This study does provide fertile ground for future work, including the potential utility of more quantitative based measures of skin severity,” they concluded.

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Reference

Merola JF, Shrom D, Eaton J, et al. Patient perspective on the burden of skin and joint symptoms of psoriatic arthritis: results of a multi-national patient survey [published online January 4, 2019]. Rheumatol Ther. doi:10.1007/s40744-018-0135-1