Psoriatic arthritis is a disease within a disease. There is the arthritis aspect and the psoriasis aspect of the disease. Approximately 15% of people with psoriasis eventually develop psoriatic arthritis. The symptoms of psoriasis and chronic arthritis develop separately for most patients. Interestingly, either can develop first but typically arthritis develops later, sometimes months or years later. For people living with psoriasis, it would be helpful to know if there were certain factors that increase the risk of developing psoriatic arthritis.
Using a questionnaire, researchers from the University of Manchester (United Kingdom) compared 98 patients who had developed inflammatory arthritis within the last 5 years to a group of patients (serving as the control group) who had psoriasis without signs of arthritis. According to study results in the May 2008 issue of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, there were certain factors or exposures that were linked with the onset of arthritis. These included:
- rubella vaccination
- recurring oral ulcers
- moving to another house
- trauma that required medical care
- fractured bone requiring hospitalization
Researchers concluded that environmental exposures were associated with the onset of inflammatory arthritis in patients with psoriasis. The strongest associations were with trauma. Exposure of the immune system to certain infection-related triggers may also be significant but it was emphasized that these findings need to be duplicated in further research.
Related Resources:
- Psoriatic Arthritis Screening Quiz
- Fast Facts About Psoriatic Arthritis
- Test Your Knowledge: Psoriatic Arthritis
- Signs and Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis
- Psoriatic Arthritis: 10 Things You Should Know
Photo by Ken Roberts (iStockphoto)
Great post – I hope you guys keep writing about PsA… there is so much we don’t know about this disease, despite how prevalent it is!
My husband was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis last year. Interesting post.
My best friend from my neighborhood and I both have this going on. Same joints in the hand hurting. Psoriasis on the scalp. We’ve only known each other for a couple of years. We swim in clorine pools a lot. My mother was arthritic, my father had psoriasis. I’m 62 and a health nut. My arthritis isn’t that bad yet — it comes and goes. Right now, it’s the combination that is freaking me out and the fact that my friend has the same thing going on –and it happened at the same time. Any comments, please email me at sandrabannister@att.net