Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: As the world observes the Psoriasis Day today (Oct 29), 125 million people globally and around 3 percent of Pakistanis are suffering from psoriasis.

The Pakistan Psoriasis Foundation reports that in an analysis of survey data from 5,000 psoriasis patients, 20% of women said that psoriasis was a very large problem in their everyday lives, compared to only 12% of men.

Dr Manzoor Memon, a dermatologist and a consultant at the Karachi Institute of Skin Diseases said, “Psoriasis can also cause inflammation of the joints, which is known as psoriatic arthritis. Almost 10 to 15 percent of people with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis. Women with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are more likely to suffer than men, according to survey data released by the Pakistan Psoriasis Foundation (PPF) in 2010,” said Dr Manzoor.

“The risk for diabetes mellitus rises substantially in patients with psoriasis, with a 62% increase in risk noted in patients with severe psoriasis,” he said, adding that early cardiovascular deaths have been reported in psoriatic patients as compared to general population. “Psoriasis is considered as a systemic inflammatory disease causing various complications and co-morbidities which have significant impact on patients,” he added.

He added that skin problems were generally the most common diseases seen in primary care setting all over the globe and its prevalence ranges from 20-50% in developing countries.

“There is a common misperception that skin diseases are somehow less serious than other medical illnesses. This can be attributed to the fact that skin disorders are often chronic but not life threatening, and so the perceived impact on the patient is more likely to be minimised in the minds of health professionals, government policy makers, and the general public,” reasoned Dr Manzoor.

He added that psoriasis of organic nature had attracted the attention of social and health scientists as it also impacts the mental health of people. “Women were more prone than men to experience anxiety, depression, anger, frustration, embarrassment and helplessness with regards to their psoriasis. In addition, they reported more day-to-day physical discomfort than men, including itching, irritation and pain from psoriasis,” he explained.

According to experts, calcipotriene cream or solution containing a vitamin D analogue may be used to treat mild to moderate psoriasis or in combination with other topical medications. However, this treatment can irritate the skin, they warned.