Category Archives: Psoriasis

Living with psoriasis can be a roller coaster ride: Sometimes you may be fighting flares while other times the condition may not have any noticeable symptoms. Knowing how to manage this autoimmune condition can make your life much easier and more comfortable.

Youve got many options for staying ahead of psoriasis even though it has no cure. Effective management of the condition includes:

There are many types of psoriasis. Each type requires different management plans based on the severity of the condition and where its located on your body. You must also factor in your other health conditions that may be related to psoriasis. Your doctor can devise a plan that works best for you.

Dont ignore symptoms of psoriasis. Because theres no cure, it needs to be managed by a doctor. What appears as a mild case may worsen with time, and your doctor can decide how to keep the condition from spreading.

Mild psoriasis can generally be treated with topical methods. Psoriasis that is moderate or severe in nature may require stronger interventions. These include:

Psoriasis is associated with other health conditions, such as:

Your doctor should check for these other conditions when treating psoriasis.

A recent trend in psoriasis management includes the treat to target approach. This concept allows you to evaluate your treatments with a doctor on a periodic basis. Together, you determine if the devised plan is effective in reducing your symptoms. Such a treatment plan should have overall goals for reducing your symptoms and allow for modifications from both you and your doctor every few months.

Several studies affirm this method of evaluation in managing psoriasis. Archives of Dermatological Research concluded that those who have outcomes measurement for their psoriasis experience:

Talk to your doctor about coming up with a regular schedule for evaluating your treatment plan. Goals should be individual in nature and may include:

It may be tempting to discontinue your psoriasis treatments if your condition seems under control. You may not be experiencing any psoriasis flare-ups and forget to take prescribed medications or keep up with a daily skin care routine. This can result in the condition coming back or even getting worse.

Consult your doctor if you feel that your treatment plan could be modified based on any reduced symptoms. Youll want to ensure that modifying treatments will result in fewer symptoms in the long term.

Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent your psoriasis from spreading or flaring. Some studies link worsening psoriasis symptoms with a higher-than-average body mass index. One analysis in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery found that increased body mass index resulted in the development of more severe psoriasis.

Losing weight may help psoriasis symptoms in those who are obese or overweight. One study in the British Journal of Dermatology analyzed overweight and obese participants who had psoriasis. The participants exercised and dieted for 20 weeks, resulting in a reduction in the severity of their psoriasis.

Talk to your doctor about weight loss methods if you are obese or overweight. This may include reducing the calories in your diet and exercising more frequently. Losing weight will help your overall health and may reduce other health conditions you have. Exercising itself is considered to be a great way to manage psoriasis symptoms.

Smoking and drinking alcohol can aggravate psoriasis. Smoking can cause psoriasis to develop or become more severe. Drinking alcohol may worsen the condition or interfere with treatments. Eliminate these unhealthy lifestyle habits to reduce psoriasis symptoms.

Stress can negatively affect psoriasis by causing your immune system to overreact. Activities like yoga, meditation, and mindfulness may reduce stress. You should also examine what factors in your life cause stress and work to eliminate these triggers.

You may also find yourself struggling with mental health because of psoriasis. Anxiety and depression are commonly tied to psoriasis and should be treated immediately. Mental health conditions can affect the management of psoriasis as well as increase your risk for suicide.

There are many ways you can manage your psoriasis to prevent flares and reduce the conditions severity. Seeing your doctor should be the first step in getting on top of psoriasis.

Its important to keep in mind that psoriasis isnt curable, and at times symptoms can pop up despite your best efforts to control the condition. You should check in with your doctor regularly to evaluate the condition and to prevent it from getting worse.

Fleming, P., Kraft, J., Gulliver, W. P., & Lynde, C. (2015, May 7). The relationship of obesity with the severity of psoriasis: A systematic review. Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 19(5). Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1203475415586332

Mrowietz, U., Steinz, K., & Gerdes, S. (2014, August 2). Psoriasis: To treat or manage? Experimental Dermatology, 23(10), 705-709. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/exd.12437/full

Naldi, L., Conti, A., Cazzaniga, S., Patrizi, A., Pazzaglia, M., Lanzoni, A., The Psoriasis Emilia Romagna Study Group. (2014, March 12). Diet and physical exercise in psoriasis: A randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 170(3), 634-642. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjd.12735/full

National Psoriasis Foundation. (n.d.). Psoriasis and mental health issue brief. Retrieved from https://www.psoriasis.org/sites/default/files/life-with-psoriasis/PsoriasisandMentalHealthIssueBriefonepager20140225.pdf

National Psoriasis Foundation. (2015, May 6). How cigarettes and alcohol affect psoriasis. Retrieved from https://www.psoriasis.org/advance/how-cigarettes-and-alcohol-affect-psoriasis

National Psoriasis Foundation. (2017, January 1). Your disease is under control now what? Retrieved from https://www.psoriasis.org/advance/disease-under-control-now-what

Psoriasis and smoking. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.papaa.org/further-information/psoriasis-and-smoking

Psoriasis treatments. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/treatments

Radtke, M. A., Reich, K., Sephr, C., & Augustin, M. (2015, July). Treatment goals in psoriasis routine care. Archives of Dermatological Research, 307(5), 445-449. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00403-014-1534-y

Stress and psoriatic disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psoriasis.org/life-with-psoriasis/stress

Treat 2 target. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psoriasis.org/treat-to-target

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6 Ways to Stay Ahead of Your Psoriasis - EmpowHer

As an inhibitor of an inflammatory protein associated with the development of psoriasis, adalimumab shows promise as a therapy for pediatric patients with severe plaque psoriasis. Adalimumab treatment for 16 weeks in children and adolescents with severe plaque psoriasis provides significant improvements compared to methotrexate.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterized by scales and red patches that are typically found on the scalp, elbows, and knees. This buildup of extra skin cells on the surface of the epidermis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease, which is currently incurable. Immune system T-cells and an abundance of inflammatory protein tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) play major roles in the development of psoriasis. Though there are many types of psoriasis, plaque psoriasis is the most common condition which involves the build-up of plaque on the surface of the skin. Itching, burning, soreness, or cracked skin are some of the symptoms associated with the disease and its severity can be classified as mild, affecting less than 5% of the skins surface area, moderate, affecting 5 to 10% of the skin, or severe, with more than 10% of the skins surface affected. Affecting 2% of the general population, a third of psoriasis diagnoses made by physicians include those who are 20 years of age and younger.

Management of pediatric psoriasis can decrease the risk of psychosocial issues and comorbidities such as, hypertension and diabetes. Initial treatment for patients with limited disease includes topical therapies, while severe pediatric psoriasis is treated using ultraviolet B phototherapy, or systemic treatments, such as methotrexate, ciclosporin, or retinoids. However, though TNF- inhibitor, methotrexate, has been prescribed to treat children and adolescents, it has not been approved by the European Medicine Agency, thus making it a good candidate for clinical research assessment. Due to the lack of standardized guidelines and approved systemic therapies, managing psoriasis by the blockage of TNF-, has been challenging. However, in 2015, TNF- inhibitor, adalimumab, was approved in the United States to treat severe cases in patients who were 4 years of age and older, and who did not respond adequately to topical therapy or phototherapies. Therefore, it is important to compare both inhibitors for their safety and efficacy in treating severe pediatric plaque psoriasis.

A double-blind randomized controlled study was performed to compare the safety and efficacy of adalimumab and methotrexate in children with severe psoriasis. Treatment groups consisted of a total of 114 patients who were randomly assigned to receive either 0.8 mg/kg of adalimumab, 0.4 mg/kg of adalimumab, or 0.1-0.4 mg/kg of methotrexate. Adalimumab was given subcutaneously every other week, whereas, methotrexate was taken orally once weekly. The study consisted of four periods; identified as the 16-week primary treatment, up to 36-week withdrawal, 16-week re-treatment, and 52-week long-term follow-up. Measurements based on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) assessed the percentage of skin affected and 75% improvement, PASI75, was a study endpoint. The Physician Global Assessment (PGA), which measures psoriasis activity, was used to identify clear or minimal areas. At week 16, PASI75 was achieved in 58% of the patients receiving 0.8mg/kg of adalimumab, in 44% of patients receiving 0.4 mg/kg of adalimumab, and in 32% of patients taking methotrexate. Results from the PGA showed 61% of patients receiving 0.8mg/kg of adalimumab, 41% of patients receiving 0.4 mg/kg adalimumab, and 41% of patients taking methotrexate had a clear or minimal PGA score. Initial treatments resulted in adverse events, such as infections for 45% of the patients receiving 0.8 mg/kg of adalimumab, in 56% of the patients receiving 0.4 mg/kg of adalimumab, and in 51% of those taking methotrexate. Compared to methotrexate, treatment with adalimumab in children and adolescents with severe plaque psoriasis provided significant improvements in PASI75. Although there was an increase in the number of patients with a clear or minimal PGA score in the adalimumab group compared to methotrexate, these results did not reach statistical significance. Overall, adalimumab was found to be more effective than methotrexate, with a rapid response and similar safety profile after 16 weeks.

This study is one of few investigations that characterize the long-term safety of treatment of severe psoriasis in children. Though a limitation of the study was a lack of methotrexate control data to compare to the investigated population, the safety and efficacy profile of adalimumab was successfully evaluated for comparison to methotrexate. In conclusion, treatment with 0.8 mg/kg of adalimumab for 16 weeks in children and adolescents with severe plaque psoriasis provided significant improvements in PASI75 and a non-significant increase in patients who achieved clear or minimal PGA compared with methotrexate. These findings provide new insight and an additional option for safe and effective therapy of severe plaque psoriasis in a young population.

Written By:Viola Lanier, Ph. D., M. Sc.

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Adalimumab Safe and Effective Therapy for Pediatric Psoriasis - Medical News Bulletin

Local research study could help psoriasis patients

Shannon Valladolid, WTSP 11:32 PM. EDT June 25, 2017

Imagine living with a skin condition that leaves severe rashes all over your body.

We're talking about Psoriasis.

For years, people suffering from the condition had only one option to get rid of it, painful weekly injections.

For the past 8 years, Olga Clark has given herself two injections every week to treat her Psoriasis.

I couldn't take a bath because the water burned my skin. My scalp was really severe to where I would scratch and I felt like I was bleeding, says Clark.

She no longer has rashes on her skin, now but Olgas says at its peak, psoriasis took over her body.

There was not a spot on me that was clear. my legs were covered, everything was covered, says Clark.

In 2014, the first pill finally hit the market called Otezla.

In an effort to challenge the only that pill, Dr.Seth Forman, who is the Principal Investigator with Forward Clinical Trials, is conducting a local research study to put a new pill in the hands of patients like Olga.

Olga is one of hundreds of patients that I have on these injectable medications. I can tell you most, if not all would rather take a pill like they do for their cholesterol or their blood pressure, says Dr.Forman, MD.

Dr. Forman says the downside to only having one pill option is some patients could have an allergic reaction, then it's back to injections. That's why he says clinical research is so important.

In order for us to get there for other skin conditions like Psoriasis, eczema. The only way we can do that is by having these what I call heroes participate in clinical research, he says.

Giving people living with severe skin conditions, an option to possibly not feel the pain of a needle.

If it didn't have to take a shot I would be happy. For them just to get on a pill, I think that's going to be great for them, says Clark.

Otezla has mixed reviews. Some complain they have severe side effects. But others say its really helped them deal with their condition.

Forward Clinical Trials is also working on research studies for treating the following:

To learn more regarding these studies or how you can get involved click here.

2017 WTSP-TV

Originally posted here:
Local Clinical research could give more options for patients suffering from psoriasis - WTSP 10 News

KNOXVILLE (WATE) Quinn Perkins, played by Actress Katie Lowes is one tough cookie on the show Scandal, but she is also tough in real life.

Lowes has lived with a chronic autoimmune disease known as psoriasis for the past eight years. She says she was diagnosed with psoriasis eight years ago but finally decided to go public with her experiences in the hopes of helping others.

When I was first diagnosed I was so embarrassed and ashamed. You know, being an actress in Hollywood, there is such a pressure to look a certain way and after living with it for eight years, says Lowes, Im really living my best life and I thought there are 7.5 million other Americans living with this disease and if I can help even one of them feel inspired to be there own best advocate to get to a place where they are living their fullest life and theyre not limiting themselves because of psoriasis, then that would just be a huge win.

The actress is partnering with Jansen and the National Psoriasis Foundation on a campaign called Inside Story. She shares her story about living with psoriasis and encourages others to do the same.

While on the set of Scandal, Lowes said there were times when she had flare-ups. She said there were times when she couldnt wear a certain red carpet look or wear a bathing suit on vacation.

There are all these limitations placed on your life and I know from personal experience it can be so upsetting and you can feel so alone, but with 7.5 million people living with this disease, you are not, said Lowes. This site is a wonderful tool that people struggling with psoriasis can use to their benefit because I want people to feel, you know, that we are a large community that we support each other. I want to encourage people to find a doctor they can trust, to find a treatment that works for them and I just want people to know that it is possible to get to a place where youre not limiting fashion and style and being with our family and things like that.

Lowes appears on the final season of Scandal which airs Thursdays on WATE 6 On Your Side. When asked if she knows how the show will end, Lowes said she is under lock-and-key.

We are not allowed to say anything, but I can assure you that this will be the final season of Scandal and the writers are leaving it all on the dance floor and it is going to be a wild and crazy ride for sure.

Read more from the original source:
'Scandal' actress Katie Lowes opens up about psoriasis - WATE 6 On Your Side

Liam Gallagher (Picture: Rex)

Bad boy rocker Liam Gallagher has many a vivid tale of debauchery to proudly share with the world but this particular story makes even him scratch his head in disbelief.

The former Oasis frontman recalled upon his first experiences of Glastonbury, when the band first played the festival in 1994 and told a backstage story in which a fan mistook hispsoriasis a flaky and itchy skin condition for cocaine.

I remember coming off stage and I got my clothes robbed, told Liam in a recent interview with Noisey.

I remember meeting someone, some very strange kid, who come up to me and thought I had cocaine in my hair, he said.

I got psoriasis so I had obviously been scratching it during the day and that, and there were little white bits and shit, the singer eloquently put.

They were takingit out of my hair and putting it on their gums and putting it up their fucking nose. I went like, Okay

I think we were a bit too laddy or English for them the Morning Glory singer added.

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Meanwhile, Liam was also confirmed to appear at Worthy Farm on the Pyramid Stage this year, as well as showing that he also has the chops for spitting grime bars.

Speaking to Christian OConnell on Absolute Radio, he told how his second son Gene really likes the Skepta stuff prompting the host to encouraging the Wonderwall hitmaker to have a go at so-called Skepta stuff.

It was a little inaudible at first but on a second listen we could tell that he rapped: You aint road! The only road you sweep are paved with gold.

Liam has reportedly finished work on his solo album As You Were, and will release it in the autumn only a month before brother Noels new album.

We wonder how much of his sons grime influence will have on his new record.

MORE: Liam Gallaghers had a pop at Liam Payne, just for a change

MORE: Skepta ave it mate: You need watch Liam Gallagher spit some grime

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Oasis fan mistook Liam Gallagher's psoriasis for cocaine at ... - Metro - Metro

Between overcoming an eating disorder in college and managing her psoriasis for the last 25 years, swimmer Dara Torres is fully prepared for any body image conversations her 11-year-old daughter Tessathrows her way.

The 12-time Olympic medalist says the questionshave already started.

She has talked to me actually a few weeks ago about body confidence, because she had to go to an end of the year school party and it was a pool party, and she wanted to talk to me about her body and what swimsuits to wear and having confidence, Torres, 50, tells PEOPLE. And it was the first time she ever really approached me about that on her own. So I was proud of her for being open about that.

Torres says her own background made it easier to relate.

I think the fact that I had an eating disorder in college, and then developing plaque psoriasis, I definitely had some confidence issues and self-esteem issues, she says. So I definitely am completely educated and ready to talk to her about any body image questions she has.

RELATED VIDEO:9 Celebrities Who Struggle with Psoriasis

Dealing with her plaque psoriasis as a young swimmer Torres first noticed the itchy, red rashes as a 25-year-old during the run up to the 1992 Barcelona Games was tough at first.

I was really embarrassed by it, because my business suit is a swimsuit. I needed to be on the pool deck in a little Speedo with these red patches all over me, Torres says.

But gaining the confidence to ignore her psoriasis was key to managing it, particularly because Torres is triggered by stress. Now she works to share that strength with other psoriasis sufferers by working withOtezla and Celgene on their Show More of You campaign.

I want to get the word out that you can have confidence and you can follow your dreams, Torres says. You can be yourself and not worry about what other people think.

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Dara Torres Is 'Ready to Talk' to Her Daughter About Body Confidence After Managing Psoriasis and an Eating Disorder - PEOPLE.com

Liam Gallagher has recalled Oasis first Glastonbury appearance, revealing how fans of the band tried to snort hispsoriasis backstage.

The Britpop groupfirst played Glasto in 1994 and Gallagher remembered a story from that years festival in a recent interview with Noisey.

I remember coming off stage and I got my clothes robbed, Gallagher said. I [also] remember meeting someone, some very strange kid, who come up to me and thought I had cocaine in my hair.

Liam explained: I got psoriasis [skin condition that causes itchy, scaly rashes] so I had obviously been scratching it during the day and that, and there were little white bits and shit. They were takingit out of my hair and putting it on their gums and putting it up their fucking nose. I went like, Okay'.

Watch in the video below at the 2.04 mark.

Earlier today, bookies announced 12/1 odds that Liam and Noel would reunite at Glastonbury 2017.Liamis set to play The Other Stage on Saturday afternoonwhereas his brother is also due to appeartointroduce a special screening of Oasis movie Supersonic.

Elsewhere in the interview, Gallaghershared an anecdote about hanging out with Steve Cooganand gavehis take on why Oasis never fully broke America.

Liam said: I think we were a bit too laddy or English for themIm quite happy with the way it went down in America to be honest. I think if we got big in America id be a proper c*nt.

Originally posted here:
Liam Gallagher says that Oasis fans tried to snort his psoriasis at ... - NME.com

So, what does this mean for other biologics in PsO? According to the report, Humira has seen a 16% offset to share over the past year and Enbrel has given up more than 20%. Although future projections show this erosion curve to continue, actual offsets may come at a slower pace, particularly for Humira, which is extremely well-entrenched as a first line biologic, as well as the preferred biologic for certain PsO patient types. Furthermore, AbbVie dominates when it comes to perceptions about manufacturer support for patients, providers, and the dermatology community.

Janssen's Stelara has carved out a solid position as the leading alternative mechanism biologic; however, the IL-17s are expected to catch up in the next six months, essentially flattening Stelara's growth. Indeed, among those expecting to increase their use of IL-17s, close to a third expect a corresponding decrease in the use of Stelara.

Lastly, Celgene's Otezla has maintained a solid position as a psoriasis treatment and dermatologists do project gains in patients with mild and moderate disease. However, only half of the current Otezla patients are classified as "well-managed" compared to 71% of biologic-treated patients. Furthermore, dermatologists identified multiple barriers to increased use of Otezla, including market access challenges, issues with GI tolerability, and sustained efficacy. Until additional oral small molecule products enter the psoriasis market, Otezla has the corner on a market very much in demand by patients.

The next wave of this study, RealTime Dynamix, will field in August and further drivers behind the evolution of this market will be explored next month in RealWorld Dynamix: Psoriasis, a large scale syndicated chart analysis of over 1,000 biologic/apremilast treated patients that have recently switched brands.

All company, brand or product names in this document are trademarks of their respective holders

About Spherix Global Insights Spherix Global Insights is a business intelligence and market research company, specializing in renal, autoimmune, neurologic and rare disease markets. Our aim is to apply our commercial experience and unique relationships within core specialty markets to translate data into insight, enabling our clients to make smarter business decisions.

For more information contact: Lynn Price, Immunology Franchise Head Email: info@spherixglobalinsights.com http://www.spherixglobalinsights.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novartis-cosentyx-and-eli-lillys-taltz-bring-disruption-to-the-psoriasis-market-as-il-17-share-increases-dramatically-300477250.html

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Novartis' Cosentyx and Eli Lilly's Taltz Bring Disruption to the Psoriasis Market as IL-17 Share Increases Dramatically - PR Newswire (press release)

June 20, 2017

Improvement in nail psoriasis severity at 16 weeks vs placebo; maintained through 52 weeks

HealthDay News Tofacitinib is associated with improvements in nail psoriasis, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Joseph F. Merola, MD, from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined the efficacy of tofacitinib for nail psoriasis treatment over 52 weeks in two identical phase 3 studies. Patients were randomized to receive tofacitinib 5 mg (487 patients), tofacitinib 10 mg (476 patients), or placebo (233 patients) twice daily. Placebo-treated patients were re-randomized at week 16.

The researchers found that significantly more patients receiving tofacitinib 5mg and tofacitinib 10mg versus placebo achieved a 50% reduction in the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) score from baseline (NAPSI50) (32.8 and 44.2, respectively, versus 12.0 percent), NAPSI75 (16.9 and 28.1, respectively, versus 6.8 percent), and NAPSI100 (10.3 and 18.2, respectively, versus 5.1 percent) at week 16. The improvements were maintained to week 52.

"Tofacitinib treatment resulted in improvements in nail psoriasis versus placebo at week 16; improvements were maintained over 52 weeks," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, which manufactures tofacitinib and funded the study.

Abstract Full Text

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Tofacitinib Assessed for Efficacy in Nail Psoriasis - Monthly Prescribing Reference (registration)

Psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that causes itchy, red scale to appear on the skin, is no stranger to the three million people who suffer from it. While itchiness is the most common symptom, in many cases patients also experience painfully inflamed tendons as well joint stiffness.

Unfortunately, the condition remains incurable, but scientists are pointing to a likely remedy to make the disease less insufferable. Thats right, cannabis has some pretty awesome effects on psoriasis.

In a 2007 study researchers concluded that cannabinoids can inhibit the buildup of dead skin cells and other symptoms of psoriasis. The study, which was published in the Journal of Dermatological Science, used different types of cannabinoids including, THC (cannabis most psychoactive component), CBD (one of cannabis least active ingredients) and cannabinol and cannabigerol (other cannabis compounds) all of which were used to examine cannabis anti-inflammatory effects.

Researchers concluded, The cannabinoids tested all inhibited keratinocyte proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. In other words, the four different cannabinoids they tested were all able to block the buildup of dead skin.

Why does this matter? Well, psoriasis is, essentially, the rapid accumulation of dead skin cells on the surface of the epidermis. So cannabis ability to stop that accumulation is a win, for people battling the inherited disease.

In a not so formal study, researchers at Gwynedd Cannabis Club in Wales, conducted a 9 day experiment in which they treated one subject with acute psoriasis, using cannabis oil. Prior to the experiment, the subject had been using a chemotherapy drug called Methotrexate, known to treat rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

However, the side effects of the drug included fever, diarrhea and increased the chance of infection.

During the 9 day study, the subject was given three doses of topical daily, for nine. Following the treatment, the subject reported no adverse side effects and even noted how she was able to go swimming with her family, which is something she had been limited in doing, due to her psoriasis.

Now, while this study is majority anecdotal, it still serves as another example of cannabis healing powers for people with psoriasis especially in cases where conventional pharmaceuticals cant seem to get it right.

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Marijuana May Be The Hero Psoriasis Patients Need - The Fresh Toast