Injury, heavy lifting, severe infection, or other trauma are risk factors associated with the progression of psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Rheumatology Association and reported in the April 2010 issue of Rheumatology News. The study compared 159 patients who had psoriatic arthritis with 159 control patients who had psoriasis alone for the purpose of identifying risk factors that explained the progression.
The first strongest risk factor was a history of infection requiring hospitalization. The second significant risk factor was occupational exposure -- work involving cumulative lifting and pushing. The third risk factor was any injury requiring medical attention.
No risk was found from exposure to immunizations or from psychological stress. Smoking was actually associated with decreased risk of progressing from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis. Researchers emphasized that this is a preliminary report and more study is needed. It is unlikely that the progression can be explained only by environmental factors. Genetic factors also likely play a role.
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