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Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes red, scaly patches of dry skin. It can appear anywhere on your body, but it often affects the elbows, scalp, and knees.

Psoriasis occurs when an overactive immune system sends faulty signals, speeding up the growth of skin cells. This causes new skin cells to form before the old cells shed.

Different factors can trigger psoriasis flares, such as:

Heres what you need to know about the stress-psoriasis connection, as well as how you can manage stress and reduce flares.

Between family, work, and other personal responsibilities, it can feel as if youre being pulled in multiple directions. And while everyone deals with everyday stressors, too much stress (or chronic stress) can impact your health and make conditions like psoriasis worse.

The exact link between psoriasis and stress isnt known. But psoriasis flares and relapses are likely due to a physiological reaction to stressful situations.

When under stress, your body turns on the fight-or-flight response. This is a natural, automatic reaction to a perceived threat. This prompts your body to release a surge of hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline gives you an energy boost. Cortisol, on the other hand, temporarily curbs the functioning of systems in your body that decrease the effectiveness of the fight-or-flight response. These might include digestion and your immune system.

Although cortisol is important to health, chronic stress can lead to too much cortisol in your body. This can throw your immune system out of balance, triggering a psoriasis flare.

Problems with your immune system can also cause an inflammatory response. Inflammation is how your body reacts to a threat. But these threats dont only include bacteria or viruses.

Your body can also perceive chronic stress as a threat, in which case your immune system triggers an inflammatory response as a defense mechanism.

Keep in mind, too, that stress isnt always caused by external factors such as work, family, or finances. A psoriasis diagnosis can also cause emotional stress, which can make your condition worse.

Plus, psoriasis is unpredictable. So while some people have mild symptoms, others have severe symptoms that may make them self-conscious.

Even though psoriasis isnt contagious, self-consciousness may cause you to limit your association with others. You may also feel anxious or stressed if treatment doesnt immediately work or if psoriasis returns after a period of remission.

Learning how to manage your stress levels can help you feel better. If youre less stressed and anxious, the appearance of your skin may improve.

Here are several techniques to help you manage chronic stress:

Regular physical activity can improve your mental outlook. Exercise releases feel-good hormones like endorphins and dopamine.

Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. You can start slow, with low impact exercises like:

A lack of sleep can worsen anxiety. Most adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night.

To promote restful sleep:

Breathing techniques can help clear your mind and promote relaxation.

With your eyes closed, breathe in through your nose, hold for a couple of seconds, and then exhale through your mouth. Repeat several times to reduce your heart rate, stress level, and blood pressure.

Massage therapy can help relieve tension, stress, and chronic pain which can help you feel more relaxed.

All work and no play also contributes to stress. Find enjoyable activities to take your mind off work or your health. Spend a few minutes each day engaged in a relaxing hobby.

It also helps to keep a stress journal and identify your stress triggers. Record what you do each day and how you feel. Once you identify possible stress triggers, take steps to reduce these from your life.

Keeping your feelings inside can also increase your stress level. Whether youre stressed about psoriasis or other problems, talk about how you feel. Confide in a relative, a trusted friend, or your doctor.

Psoriasis is a lifelong condition with no cure. Even after achieving remission, relapses can happen.

Although different factors can trigger a flare, theres a strong connection between stress and psoriasis.

Learning how to manage stress levels along with traditional treatments can help improve your condition, resulting in clearer skin.

See more here:
Stress and Psoriasis: Managing Your Mental Health - Healthline

Dear Doctors: Im 27 and have itchy skin my doctor says is psoriasis. It comes and goes, sometimes bad, other times not that noticeable. Can diet help?

Answer: Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition associated with a malfunction of the immune system.

Its marked by overproduction of skin cells, which results in raised areas of dry, reddened and flaking skin. These areas of inflammation, sometimes topped by silvery scales, typically appear on the elbows, knees and scalp but can occur anywhere.

Symptoms also can include burning, soreness and itching, nails thicker than normal or with pits or ridges and joint stiffness or swelling.

Susceptibility is inherited. The condition is much more common in adults than in children.

The reasons the immune system goes a bit haywire this way arent fully understood. But flareups are associated with triggers such as stress, cold weather, the use of tobacco products and skin injuries.

You are correct that some studies have found diet might play a role. Research suggests that avoiding inflammatory foods might help ease symptoms and lessen the frequency of flareups.

Chief among the culprits: sugar, long linked to inflammation. In a mouse study last year in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, researchers triggered inflammatory changes in the skin in just a few weeks on a high-sugar diet.

Other foods linked to inflammation include alcohol, red meat, saturated fats and highly refined carbohydrates found in snack foods and ultra-processed foods.

Some studies have found the Mediterranean diet, with its focus on seafood and olive oil as well as a wide range of fresh vegetables, fruit and leafy greens, might improve symptoms. This eating plan is rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, known as omega-3s, which appear to influence eicosanoids that have a role in causing inflammation.

Researchers suspect eating more omega-3 fatty acids might suppress inflammatory processes.

But diet alone hasnt been found to control or cure psoriasis.

Some people find a vegetarian diet can lessen the severity. Pay attention to whether what you eat appears to correspond to changes in your level of inflammation. You might uncover dietary triggers that can help you.

Dr. Eve Glazier is an internist and associate professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Dr. Elizabeth Ko is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health.

The rest is here:
Psoriasis: paying attention to what you eat could help with symptoms - Chicago Sun-Times

This article was originally published here

Clin Exp Dermatol. 2021 Apr 29. doi: 10.1111/ced.14713. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a serious, chronic non-communicable disease. However, the fundamental measure of disease occurrence, incidence, has been scarcely reported globally. There are no previous studies of psoriasis incidence in Latin America.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to estimate incidence rates of psoriasis in Chile during 2016 and 2017 using an administrative database, the Waiting List Repository.

METHODS: We examined referrals of psoriasis at onset, made by physicians to dermatologists, evaluated the agreement of diagnosis, and estimated the incidence of the disease considering the eligible population at risk.

RESULTS: The referrals corresponded to incident cases of psoriasis 73.3% (95% CI: 66.6% 79.2%) of the time. National incidence rates of psoriasis were 22.1 (95% CI:21.1-23.1) and 22.7 (95% CI:21.8-23.6) per 100,000 person-years in 2016 and 2017. The most common type of psoriasis was the late-onset type. We observed a high variation in the figures throughout the country, with a range from 0.75 (95% CI: 0.3-1.5) to 164.9 (95% CI: 138.6-195.1) per 100,000 person-years at the Metropolitan and Aysen region, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: We describe, for the first-time, the incidence of psoriasis in a Latin American country. Our findings could potential guide collaborations to improve our global understanding of psoriasis in Latin America.

PMID:33914930 | DOI:10.1111/ced.14713

Go here to read the rest:
The incidence of psoriasis in Chile: an analysis of the national Waiting List Repository - DocWire News

Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Is it the doctor I should call?

If your lips are looking flaky, it might just be a case of chapped lips. Its pretty rare for psoriasis to break out on your lips. But if you have the signs of a psoriasis rash (scaly plaque or a burning sensation) its a good idea to get it checked out by a doctor or dermatologist.

Heres what you need to know about psoriasis on your lips.

Not just lip service: Psoriasis on lips

Psoriasis is a chronic medical condition that causes red, sometimes itchy or burning patches covered by silver, scaly plaques. During a flare-up you might even find these spots on your lips.

Theres no cure for psoriasis, but your doctor can prescribe effective treatments (like steroids) that can ease your symptoms.

You can also help prevent future by trying to avoid any of your personal triggers. (These might include stress, sudden weather changes, or spicy foods.)

FYI: If youre dealing with a psoriasis rash, exfoliators or makeup could irritate it. Please, step away from the lipstick and let yourself heal.

Although its rare, its possible to get a psoriasis rash on your lips.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that affects 7.5 million people in the U.S. alone. Theres no proven cause, but your immune system and your genetics both seem to have something to do with psoriasis. It often shows up as red, scaly plaques on your skin.

Usually, those plaques show up on your knees, elbows, or chest. But no part of your body is truly immune. That includes the area around your eyes, your cheeks, your genitals, and yep, even your lips.

The rashes are usually thick and whitish-silver, but can come with thick red patches as well. On darker skin, it can appear more purple in color. Sometimes, those patches can crack and bleed.

Psoriasis can be uncomfortable anywhere on your body. When its on your lips, it may affect the way you talk or eat.

How does psoriasis work?

If you have psoriasis, your immune system attacks your own healthy skin cells. Your body hurries to make more skin cells in response, but that leads to overproduction.

When you have so many new skin cells that they dont have time to fall off, these extra cells build up on each other. This causes those flaky scales that can show up across your body and on your lips.

Whats the deal with the redness underneath? The friendly-fire from your white blood cells (the misplaced immune response) can cause inflammation.

First, the bad news: Theres no cure for psoriasis.

Now, the good news: There are effective and safe treatments for managing your symptoms.

There are a few different treatments your doctor might explore with you, according to Dr. Orit Markowitz, Board-Certified Dermatologist.

For example, they may explore topical anti-inflammatory creams, such as corticosteroids. Corticosteroids control the inflammatory responses in the body, she explains. Steroids come in different strengths from strong and super-potent to weak and less potent. Your doctor will decide what kind you need.

If you have psoriasis, you might also be prescribed systemic immunossupressants. These lower the immune response that is telling your system to attack the skin, Markowitz says, and they work on the entire body.

Other treatments could include:

There are also some home remedies that can help you manage the appearance of your symptoms.

Psoriasis PSA

At-home remedies should never replace medical treatments prescribed by your doctor. You should also check in with your doc before starting a new DIY remedy for psoriasis to make sure it wont interfere with your treatment plan.

The best remedies for chronically psoriatic lips are over-the-counter (OTC) hydrocortisone ointment and [hydrating] ointments, Markowitz says.

In addition, youll want to avoid using any scrubs (like a sugar scrub) on your face because these could aggravate your skin. And unhappy skin would make your symptoms worse.

Psoriatic patients are tempted to use scrubs and exfoliants, says Markowitz, but this will further damage their already damaged skin and irritate their psoriasis, possibly causing a flare-up.

You should also avoid most things that cover up your psoriatic lips. Makeup or lipstick arent great ideas at least not every day while youre experiencing a flare-up.

Lips are sensitive, just like most of the skin in and around the face, so its important to treat it carefully, Markowitz says.

Markowitz also recommends using moisturizing products that have SPF. Its important to keep the affected lip area protected from the sun, she says. Look for OTC products with the National Psoriasis Foundations Seal of Recognition program.

If you do use makeup, do so sparingly, so as to not further irritate or infect the lips, Markowitz says. I always recommend keeping the lips moist, especially under makeup.

If you must use a coverup, she continues, try to avoid cosmetics that contain fragrance and drying ingredients. Makeup that is not easily absorbed into the skin, such as water or sweat resistant ones, will most likely work better here.

A psoriasis flare-up can usually be traced to a specific trigger. If you can figure out whats setting off your rashes, it might be possible to avoid it.

Here are some of the most common triggers for psoriasis:

If youre not sure whats triggering your psoriasis, you can try keeping a log of your symptoms to see if you can make any connections.

In general, if this is the first time youre noticing red, flaky lips, give your doc a call. Theyll be able to diagnose whether its a psoriasis rash. Its also important to reach out if your symptoms are getting worse.

If you start to notice symptoms such as pain, swelling, tenderness, stiff muscles and joints, or a noticeable change in the appearance of your nails, says Markowitz, call your doctor.

Never try a new treatment including OTC ones without checking with your doctor either.

The short answer: Yes.

Psoriasis on lips is pretty rare. Here are some more common things that can cause a rash on your lips:

Here are a few examples of what psoriasis and other causes may look like on lips.

Remember, its always best to see a doctor for a diagnosis. That way youll know what kinds of treatments will work best for you.

Psoriasis on your lips is possible but its rare. If you do have psoriasis on your lips, theyll likely be red, inflamed, cracked, or covered in whitish scales.

Just remember that theres other conditions that could be causing your cracked lips. Your doctor is the one who can truly diagnose psoriasis. Theyll also be able to recommend the most effective, safe treatments for you.

Link:
Psoriasis on Lips: Symptoms, Treatment, Other Rashes - Greatist

The following article is part of our coverage of the American Academy of Dermatologys annual meeting (AAD 2021) that is being held virtually from April 23-25, 2021. Dermatology Advisors staff will report on the top research in dermatologic advances and clinical care. Check back for the latest news from AAD 2021.

Treatment with guselkumab was found to be associated with durable, complete skin clearance through 5 years in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) and improved disease activity and axial symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) through 1 year, according to a recent press release and study results presented at the American Academy of Dermatologys Virtual Meeting Experience (AAD VMX) 2021, held online from April 23 to April 25, 2021.

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In the VOYAGE 2 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02207244), approximately 55.5% of patients who received guselkumab had complete skin clearance, as determined by an Investigators Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0, by week 252. In addition, 53% of patients had a Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 100 skin clearance response (PASI 100) by the 252-week follow-up. Up to 82% of patients achieved a PASI 90 skin clearance response, and 85% of patients had an IGA score of 0/1, indicating complete skin clearance. Efficacy rates were maintained through the 5-year treatment period.

In the DISCOVER-1 and -2 trials (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT03162796 and NCT03158285, respectively), patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) received either placebo or 100 mg guselkumab every 4 weeks and every 8 weeks. Treatment with guselkumab improved disease activity in the joints as well as across several different domains through 52 weeks. Differences in response rates between the active treatment and placebo groups were observed at 8 weeks of treatment.

In addition, in the phase 3 VOYAGE 2 trial, the researchers showed that a significantly greater percentage of patients who received guselkumab vs placebo for 16 weeks had an IGA 0/1 response (84% vs 9%, respectively; P <.001).

Safety data from the VOYAGE 1 and 2 trials show that 78.3% of patients who received guselkumab continued treatment through week 252. Guselkumab featured a safety profile from year 1 through year 5 that was consistent with its safety profile shown in other studies. Low rates of adverse events due to treatment discontinuation were reported.

The signs and symptom improvement seen with [guselkumab] is noteworthy for both patients who live with fear of disease recurrence and their physicians, as these data add to a growing body of evidence for this first-in-class [interleukin] (IL)-23 inhibitor treatment for moderate to severe plaque [PsO] and active [PsA], noted the lead author of the VOYAGE 2 study.

Disclosure: The clinical trials included in this analysis were supported by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Please see the original reference for a full list of study authors disclosures.

New phase 3 data showed first-in-class TREMFYA (guselkumab) provided durable complete skin clearance through 5 years in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) and robust joint symptom improvement through 52 weeks in active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Press release. Published April 23, 2021. Accessed April 26, 2021. https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/new-phase-3-data-show-first-in-class-tremfya-guselkumab-achieved-complete-skin-clearance-and-favorable-joint-efficacy-in-adult-patients-with-active-psoriatic-arthritis-psa-through-two-years/

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Complete Skin Clearance and Improved Joint Symptoms With Guselkumab in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis - Dermatology...

Results from first network meta-analysis based on area under the curve of 52-week clinical trial data. Taltz also helped patients stay on treatment longer and have more days without additional therapy in three real-world analyses of U.S. claims data

TORONTO, April 30, 2021 /CNW/ - Through clinical trial meta-analysis and real-world evidence, Eli Lilly and Company's Taltz (ixekizumab) demonstrated greater success in key measured treatment outcomes compared to other biologics in adults with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis. In the first one-year network meta-analysis based on area under the curve, Taltz showed numerically greater cumulative benefits on completely clear skin over one year compared to seven other biologics, as measured by Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 100. In three real-world analyses of U.S. claims data ranging from one to three years, patients treated with Taltz stayed on treatment longer, were more adherent to the prescription and had more days on monotherapy compared to the other biologics studied. These results were presented virtually at the American Academy of Dermatology's Virtual Meeting Experience (AAD VMX), April 23-25, 2021.

"Results of the clinical trial meta-analysis showed Taltz offered more cumulative days of clear skin for patients with moderate- to severe psoriasis, compared to seven other biologics," says Dr. Doron Sagman, vice president, R&D and Medical Affairs, Eli Lilly Canada. "This further anchors Taltz as an important treatment option for patients who are looking for completely clear skin long-term."

Taltz provided patients with longest-lasting complete skin clearance over a one-year period1

In the network meta-analysis to assess the cumulative clinical benefits of biologics in psoriasis, using PASI 100 to measure the early and sustained effect of biologic medications approved for psoriasis over one year, Taltz offered patients with psoriasis the greatest number of cumulative days of completely clear skin compared to adalimumab, brodalumab, etanercept, guselkumab, risankizumab, secukinumab and ustekinumab. In this analysis, Taltz showed one to 18 more cumulative weeks of completely clear skin over one year compared to these seven other biologics.

Taltz provided patients with a total of 159 cumulative days (95% credible interval, 147.4-170.0 days), or 23 weeks of completely clear skin (PASI 100), which translates into a patient having completely clear skin for approximately 44% of the year compared to:

For methodology, see "About the studies" section below.

Taltz helped patients stay on prescribed treatment, and to avoid additional psoriasis therapy significantly longer, compared to secukinumab, ustekinumab, adalimumab and etanercept2

People with psoriasis taking Taltz achieved greater success taking medication as prescribed (adherence) and staying on medication for the prescribed duration (persistence), without needing additional medications (monotherapy), compared to those taking secukinumab, ustekinumab, adalimumab and etanercept up to three years. Patients on Taltz stayed on treatment an observed median of nearly 22 weeks longer vs. all other biologics pooled (414 vs. 259 days, [59 vs. 37 weeks], p<0.001) and approximately 11 to 34 weeks longer vs. individual treatments: secukinumab (335 days [48 weeks]), adalimumab (301 days [43 weeks]), etanercept (181 days [26 weeks]) and ustekinumab (176 days [25 weeks]). Compared with the pooled set of other biologics where patients stayed on prescription for less than half of the year (45.7%), patients on Taltz took treatment as prescribed for over half of the year (53.2%), as measured by proportion of days covered (PDC) by prescribed treatment (p<0.001). Patients taking Taltz also experienced more time (52.7% of the year) on monotherapy compared to the pooled set of other biologics (44.8% of the year) (p<0.001). For methodology, see "About the studies" section below.

Patients on Taltz took treatment as prescribed nearly eight weeks longer than guselkumab, despite more frequent dosing3

Compared to guselkumab, patients with psoriasis on Taltz adhered to treatment for nearly eight weeks more time (Taltz: median of 272 days or 39 weeks [PDC=0.75]; guselkumab: 219 days or 31 weeks [PDC=0.60], p=0.001) and had approximately six weeks more time on monotherapy (Taltz: median of 247 days or 35 weeks [PDC=0.68]; guselkumab: 202 days or 29 weeks [PDC=0.55], p=0.002) over one year. Among those patients who required additional psoriasis therapies, the need for systemic medication was similar for patients taking Taltz or guselkumab over the year. For methodology, see "About the studies" section below.

Patients on Taltz with prior biologic use were more likely to continue treatment as prescribed compared to secukinumab4

Among participants who had previously used a biologic, patients with psoriasis treated with Taltz were more likely to be "highly adherent," which was measured by more than 80% of days where they took treatments as prescribed (Taltz: 42.0% vs. secukinumab: 35.0%, p=0.019). Taltz was associated with 25% lower risk of switching treatments, 20% lower risk of stopping treatment before the end of the prescribed duration (non-persistence), 19% lower risk of discontinuing treatment, and 36% higher odds of taking treatment as prescribed (adherence) than secukinumab. For methodology, see "About the studies" section below.

"When compared to seven other biologics over a period of one year, Taltz provided patients with the greatest number of days of complete skin clearance. This real-world evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of Taltz. Taltz-treated patients had more days without the need for additional therapy," says Dr. Kim Papp, MD, PhD, FRCPC.

More than 175,000 patients have been treated with Taltz worldwide since launch, giving healthcare providers confidence in making informed prescribing decisions for patients with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, as well as in other approved conditions including ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

About the studies

About Taltz Taltz is approved for the treatment of patients 6 years of age and older with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis, active ankylosing spondylitis, or active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis with objective signs of inflammation.5

About Moderate- to Severe Plaque Psoriasis Psoriasis is a chronic, immune disease that affects the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis affects approximately 125 million people worldwide, approximately 20 percent of whom have moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis. The most common form of psoriasis, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells. Patients with plaque psoriasis often have other serious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease and experience negative impact on their quality of life.

About Lilly in Dermatology By following the science through uncharted territory, we continue Lilly's legacy of delivering innovative medicines that address unmet needs and have significant impacts on people's lives around the world. Skin-related diseases are more than skin deep. We understand the devastating impact this can have on people's lives. At Lilly, we are relentlessly pursuing a robust dermatology pipeline to provide innovative, patient-centered solutions so patients with skin-related diseases can aspire to live life without limitations.

About Lilly CanadaEli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by Colonel Eli Lilly, who was committed to creating high quality medicines that meet people's needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to people who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and contribute to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Eli Lilly Canada was established in 1938, the result of a research collaboration with scientists at the University of Toronto which eventually produced the world's first commercially available insulin. Our work focuses on oncology, diabetes, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, and pain. To learn more about Lilly Canada, please visit us at http://www.lilly.ca.

For our perspective on issues in healthcare and innovation, follow us on twitter @LillyPadCA and @LillyMedicalCA.

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about Taltz (ixekizumab) as a treatment for patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis and reflects Lilly's current belief and expectations. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of research, development and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that future study results will be consistent with the results to date or that Taltz will receive additional regulatory approvals or be commercially successful. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

References

1Blauvelt et al. Cumulative Clinical Benefits of Biologic Treatments for Psoriasis Over 1 Year. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

2Blauvelt et al. Ixekizumab Demonstrates Greater Medication Adherence, Persistence, and Longer Monotherapy Duration Than Secukinumab, Adalimumab, Ustekinumab, and Etanercept up to 3 Years in the Treatment of Psoriasis: Real-world Results From IBM MarketScan Databases. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

3Blauvelt et al. Real-World Comparison of Monotherapy and Concomitant Medication Use with Biologic Therapies for Psoriasis: Ixekizumab vs. Guselkumab. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

4Blauvelt et al. Comparison of Long-Term Treatment Patterns between Ixekizumab and Secukinumab Users among Biologic-experienced Psoriasis Patients. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

5Taltz Product Monograph, March 29, 2021

To read Lilly's 2021 AAD disclosures, click here.

SOURCE Eli Lilly Canada Inc.

For further information: Media Contact: Samira Rehman, [emailprotected], 647-617-1994

http://www.lilly.ca

Here is the original post:
Taltz delivers more cumulative days with completely clear skin for adults with psoriasis compared to seven other biologics in novel network...

Objectives:Although causality remains to be established, targeting dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota by faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been proposed as a novel treatment for inflammatory diseases. In this exploratory, proof-of-concept study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of FMT in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods:In this double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, superiority trial, we randomly allocated (1:1) adults with active peripheral PsA (3 swollen joints) despite ongoing treatment with methotrexate to one gastroscopic-guided FMT or sham transplantation into the duodenum. Safety was monitored throughout the trial. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of participants experiencing treatment failure (ie, needing treatment intensification) through 26 weeks. Key secondary endpoints were change in Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and American College of Rheumatology (ACR20) response at week 26.

Results:Of 97 screened, 31 (32%) underwent randomisation (15 allocated to FMT) and 30 (97%) completed the 26-week clinical evaluation. No serious adverse events were observed. Treatment failure occurred more frequently in the FMT group than in the sham group (9 (60%) vs 3 (19%); risk ratio, 3.20; 95% CI 1.06 to 9.62; p=0.018). Improvement in HAQ-DI differed between groups (0.07 vs 0.30) by 0.23 points (95% CI 0.02 to 0.44; p=0.031) in favour of sham. There was no difference in the proportion of ACR20 responders between groups (7 of 15 (47%) vs 8 of 16 (50%)).

Conclusions:In this first preliminary, interventional randomised controlled trial of FMT in immune-mediated arthritis, we did not observe any serious adverse events. Overall, FMT appeared to be inferior to sham in treating active peripheral PsA.

Trial registration number:NCT03058900.

Keywords:arthritis; inflammation; psoriatic; therapeutics.

Read more from the original source:
Safety and efficacy of faecal microbiota transplantation for active peripheral psoriatic arthritis: an exploratory randomised placebo-controlled trial...

I have psoriasis. Ive had it since I was in elementary school, and I have finally decided Ive had enough. I recently started a new injectable biologic to control it. While I was digging for good news about my skin, I found a video of a guy discussing all the things he tried before turning to injectables. He started off discussing a psoriasis diet he had tried for several months.

It wasnt the diet that caught my attention.

It was the way he talked about it. He was visibly frustrated as he explained that the strict diet he was on actually did help his psoriasis. He saw marked improvement. But he couldnt stick to it long term because it was so all-consuming.

His basic sentiment was, It came to a point where I could do this diet to help my skin, or I could have all the other parts of the rest of my life. I chose a normal life. As a thin person, I am sure this felt like a big revelation to him.

As a fat person, I was like NO EFFING KIDDING.

Limiting your diet is an emotional roller coaster no matter what the reason, but when its motivated by diet cultures hatred for the way your body looks, its literally 24/7 hard. Its maintaining constant focus on the ways your body doesnt stack up to societys standards.

That SUCKS. Its soul-crushing. It hurts. Even when it works.

I know that I could stick to a very strict, very large calorie deficit and lose weight. I could prioritize a time-consuming, intense exercise regimen and change my body to some extent.

Theres a high likelihood that, for me, it would be disordered, motivated by self-loathing, and feel like total misery.

But it would work if you consider success to be shrinking my body into a more acceptable size and shape. Because its not technically impossible for me to become thinner, many people believe that I should be on a perpetual diet every single day of my life until I attain a level of thinness that makes me sexually acceptable to the men who dictate our beauty standards.

Story continues

It doesnt matter that its unreasonably hard for some people. That truth is constantly brushed off as an excuse or laziness. Nobody wants to hear that every body actually doesnt respond the same way to every diet, and that what worked for them might not work for me. A lot of people dont allow a fat person the space and respect to say, Dieting, for me, gets to a point where it controls my life, and I get to choose between that and my own happiness and mental health. We dont get to prioritize our mental health and happiness without judgment.

Fat people are supposed to be constantly in progress until we are thinand then?

We are supposed to spend the rest of our lives working to maintain that thinness.

And we are supposed to do this without any complaint, without any sympathy for how incredibly hard it is because we are supposed to want to be thin more than we want to enjoy food along with everyone else, and relax into our bodies as they are.

Its interesting to me because there actually was one time in my life when people seemed to feel for me when I was on a very restricted diet. I wasnt thin. I was pregnant. In my third trimester with my last baby, I found out I had gestational diabetes. Luckily, I didnt have any trouble controlling my blood sugars, and we both turned out no worse for the wear.

But I had to navigate the holiday season without a single treat, with very few carbs, carefully measuring my portions and ensuring that I created a safe environment for my growing baby.

It is the one time in my life that I did not struggle one little bit. My health and my babys health depended on my restricted diet. It was a no-brainer that I would do what I needed to do in order to keep us both safe.

Its also the one time when I was inundated with compassion. People wanted to tell me that they understood how tough it was. They seemed to fully understand how overwhelmed I must be asking about ingredients, tracking everything I ate, testing my blood, checking my babys weight via weekly ultrasounds. A lot of people even promised to bring my favorite sweet treats to the hospital after my baby was born, realizing how comforting and yummy that would be for me.

The fact that gestational diabetes was largely out of my control seemed to be my golden ticket to understanding.

My higher weight, despite much scientific evidence to the contrary, is still largely regarded as something that is completely within my control, and therefore, I am not entitled to be okay with it.

Why can people muster up sympathy for people who have to limit their diets due to illnesses, but they expect fat people in good health (we do exist!) to be on a perpetual diet, never ever just eating whats available, letting their body exist as it is? Why is it still such a no-go to just accept that youre fat and let that be the case, even if only for a season?

I fought my body for years. For most of my teens and twenties and even a couple years of my very early thirties, I was always on a diet. Every time I ate a meal or treat without knowing how many calories, carbs or fat was in it, I felt a nagging guilt that I was cheating on my diet. Despite my best efforts, I never quite changed my body enough to become acceptable. Not even close.

And then, I decided to see what it felt like to try to make peace with my body instead of constantly fighting it. I didnt gain weight as I always thought I would. Sometimes, I even lose weight without trying. My weight fluctuates naturally almost as much as it did when I was frequently actively dieting.

I still diet once in a while. I have learned to make peace with my body, but I live in this thin-obsessed culture and sometimes I still find myself itching to see if I can get a little closer to thin.

Because dieting isnt all tough. The high of watching the weight come off is enough to keep me going sometimes. When its working and your body is shrinking, dieting can feel good. (But it can also quickly evolve into a really harmful pattern of disordered eating if youre susceptible to that.) Inching closer to societys idea of what you should look like feels hopeful sometimes.

But, for me, theres something really draining about trying to convince myself to frame the experience as a permanent change of lifestyle, when it almost always feels like an unsustainable way to live. Im not alone in that exhaustion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COGvdHwBhwz/

Most fat people I have spoken to agree that its just really heavy to be so focused on the ways your body doesnt stack up to societys standards. Dieting can bring that to the forefront in ways that are really tough to handle for extended periods of time.

There is so much you dont know about a fat persons health, history and choices just by looking at them. If you know a fat person who seems to you to be letting themselves go or not caring about their health, mind your own business, and let them be. Mental health IS health, and we dont owe anyone a smaller body or an explanation as to why we arent killing ourselves to attain one.

See the original article on ScaryMommy.com

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Fat People Dont Have To Be On A Perpetual Diet - Yahoo Lifestyle