Skin Disease and Global Characteristics Affect Quality of Life in Patients With Psoriasis

Quality of life (QoL) impairment in psoriasis depends on the skin disease and patients’ global characteristics, according to a study published in Dermatologic Therapy.

Researchers aimed to investigate patients’ global characteristics and treatments associated with QoL impairment in psoriasis by administering questionnaires evaluating sociodemographic features and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Factors associated with a large (DLQI>10), moderate (DLQI≥6≤10), and small (DLQI≥2<6) effect on patients’ lives were evaluated with multiple regression analysis.

A total of 1052 patients affected by mild to severe psoriasis were included in the study. Factors that had a large effect on QoL were living in Southern Italy; depression; psoriatic arthritis; and psoriasis localization on the facial, intertriginous, palmoplantar, trunk, and scalp regions. Phototherapy and nonbiologic systemic therapies were the predictive factors for a moderate effect. Living in social housing and the isolated involvement of scalp psoriasis had a small effect on QoL. Biologic therapies, including anti-IL-12/23, anti-IL-17, and anti-TNFα, were associated with no QoL impairment.

“Perceived quality of life impairment in psoriasis not only depends on the skin disease but rather on patients’ global characteristics,” concluded the study authors. “Therefore, the individual background of these patients should be respected in the selection of treatment options,” they added.

Reference
Scala E, Kaczmarczyk R, Zink A, Balato A, PSES study group. Sociodemographic, clinical and therapeutic factors as predictors of life quality impairment in psoriasis: a cross-sectional study in Italy. Dermatol Ther. Published online June 7, 2022. doi:10.1111/dth.15622