Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are both autoimmune conditions, which means that your immune system is mistakenly attacking itself.
With psoriasis (PsO), your skin cells multiply too quickly and you may develop itchy, red rashes on your skin. With psoriatic arthritis (PsA), you may develop inflammation of your joints, spine, and tendons, which may cause pain and stiffness.
It’s possible to have both conditions at the same time. About 20 to 30 percent of people who have PsO also have PsA.
“Usually one aspect develops before the other,” says Lisa Imundo, MD, a Rheumatologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. Most people with these conditions develop PsO first, but it’s possible to develop joint symptoms before skin symptoms.
What are treatment options to relieve psoriatic disease?
Psoriatic disease refers to the development of both PsO and PsA at the same time. If you have both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, here are some treatment options that can help you, including:
DMARDs
These are disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and they help to suppress the body’s overactive immune system and protect your joints. Two examples of DMARDs that work for both conditions are leflunomide and methotrexate.
Biologics
Rather than working on the whole immune system, biologics control certain molecules that cause inflammation in the blood. An example of a biologic that can treat both is a TNF inhibitor. This biologic agent targets tumor necrosis factor, a molecule that can cause inflammation.
JAK Inhibitors
These are drugs that control inflammation through the janus kinase molecules. These medications often help treat both PsO and PsA.
How do you manage successful treatment for psoriatic disease?
Dr. Imundo says that if you’ve been diagnosed with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, you should visit your provider on a regular basis. This can help you keep them updated on how your treatments are working.
“With the treatments we have available now, usually we can get you to [have] no inflammation, and that should [generally] help you get back to a normal life and normal activities,” she says.
Lisa Imundo, MD is a board-certified Rheumatologist at Columbia University's Irving Medical Center.
References
Alinaghi, Farzad, et al. (2019). Prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational and clinical studies. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Arthritis Foundation. (n.d.). Biologics.
Arthritis Foundation. (n.d.). DMARDS.
Chen, Miao. (2020). A novel treatment for psoriatic arthritis: Janus kinase inhibitors. Chinese Medical Journal.
Yost, John, et al. (2009). The role of TNF inhibitors in psoriasis therapy: new implications for associated comorbidities. F1000 Medicine Reports.
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