The Numbers Tell The Story

The numbers tell the story about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
National Health Concern
About 2.1 percent of the U.S. population has psoriasis
More than 4.5 million American men and women have psoriasis, or about one in 50 Americans
Age
Often appears between the ages of 15 and 35, but can develop at any age
Average age of onset is 28
10 percent to 15 percent of those with psoriasis get it before age 10
Some infants have psoriasis, although this is considered rare
Annually, 20,000 children under 10 years of age are diagnosed with psoriasis
Severity of Psoriasis
About 30 percent of people with psoriasis have cases that are considered moderate to severe (generally meaning it covers more than 3 percent of their body)
More than 1.5 million Americans have moderate to severe psoriasis
Severe types of psoriasis can compromise the skin's ability to control body temperature and prevent infections
30 percent of patients under a dermatologist's care have psoriasis so extensive or difficult to control that prescription topical (rub on) therapies are not adequate
Quality of Life Impact
75 percent of people with moderate to severe psoriasis report that their disease has a moderate to large impact on their everyday lives:
26 percent alter their normal daily activities
21 percent stop their normal daily activities
40 percent say their psoriasis affects their clothing choices (avoiding dark colors, covering up arms and legs)
36 percent say it affects how they sleep
36 percent report bathing more than normal(based on results of National Psoriasis Foundation 2001 Benchmark Survey on Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis)
Facts
Psoriasis appears to be slightly more prevalent in women than in men
Psoriasis may disqualify a person from serving in the U.S. military
On average, 350 people die from psoriasis or complications of its treatment annually
400 people a year are granted disability by the Social Security Administration because of psoriasis
Psoriatic Arthritis
About 1 million people in the U.S. population have psoriatic arthritis; that equals about 0.5 percent of the country
Between 10 percent and 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis usually develops between the ages of 30 and 50, but it can develop at any time
Generally psoriasis appears before the psoriatic arthritis, but it can develop without the characteristic skin lesions
There are five types of psoriatic arthritis
Psoriasis Patients
Psoriasis patients make nearly 2.4 million visits to dermatologists each year
Overall costs of treating psoriasis may exceed $3 billion annually
150,000 to 260,000 cases of psoriasis are diagnosed each year
Genetic
If one parent has psoriasis, children have a 10 percent to 25 percent chance of developing psoriasis
If both parents have psoriasis, children have a 50 percent chance
Worldwide
Psoriasis affects an estimated 1 percent to 3 percent of the world's population

Genetic Disposition for Psoriasis

Supporting evidence for genetic predisposition includes:
There is a higher-than-average incidence of psoriasis in relatives of people with psoriasis, indicating "familial tendency" to develop the disease; however, in some people with psoriasis no family history is evident.
There is an increased incidence of psoriasis in children when one or both parents has psoriasis.
In studies of identical and nonindentical twins, psoriasis is much more likely to appear in both identical twins than in both nonidentical twins, a finding that also confirms that more than one gene must be inherited to establish genetic predisposition for psoriasis.
There is a higher than expected frequency of certain white cell antigens (Class I human leucocyte antigens or HLAs) on cells of people with psoriasis and their close relatives; this finding also supports psoriasis inheritability and also suggests that the gene(s) involved in psoriasis may be on the same chromosome that holds the genes for HLA. There are many types of HLA in the HLA complex, and studies have shown that HLA type may be associated in some degree with timing of disease onset, type of psoriasis, and disease severity.
While the genetics of psoriasis remain to be worked out in detail, much is already known about patterns of inheritability. Persons with psoriasis who are worried about "passing it on" to children may wish to ask their dermatologist for genetic counseling.

Treating Psoriasis With Dermatitis-Ltd

Dermatitis-Ltd will improve the appearence of the various forms of psoriasis. Overall, 98% of Dermatitis-Ltd III users confirm that they have found noticeable improvement in the beauty of their skin. Dermatitis-Ltd III does not cause a stain on clothes or bedding, does not smell, dries within 2 to 5 minutes depending on humidity conditions, and is always invisible on the skin.

Causes of Psoriasis

Researchers believe the immune system sends faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle in skin cells. Certain people carry genes that make them more likely to develop psoriasis, but not everyone with these genes develops psoriasis. Instead, a "trigger" makes the psoriasis appear in those who have these genes. Also, some triggers may work together to cause an outbreak of psoriasis; this makes it difficult to identify individual factors.Possible psoriasis triggers include: emotional stress; injury to the skin; some types of infection; reaction to certain drugs. Once the disease is triggered, the skin cells pile up on the surface of the body faster than normal. In people without psoriasis, skin cells mature and are shed about every 28 days. In psoriatic skin, the skin cells move rapidly up to the surface of the skin over three to six days. The body can't shed the skin cells fast enough and this process results in patches also called "lesions" forming on the skin's surface.

Treating the Cause of Psoriasis

Researchers believe the immune system sends faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle in skin cells. Certain people carry genes that make them more likely to develop psoriasis, but not everyone with these genes develops psoriasis. Instead, a "trigger" makes the psoriasis appear in those who have these genes. Also, some triggers may work together to cause an outbreak of psoriasis; this makes it difficult to identify individual factors.Possible psoriasis triggers include: emotional stress; injury to the skin; some types of infection; reaction to certain drugs. Once the disease is triggered, the skin cells pile up on the surface of the body faster than normal. In people without psoriasis, skin cells mature and are shed about every 28 days. In psoriatic skin, the skin cells move rapidly up to the surface of the skin over three to six days. The body can't shed the skin cells fast enough and this process results in patches also called "lesions" forming on the skin's surface