Collaborative research from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that psoriasis patients have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, especially if the psoriasis is moderate to severe. Now, Penn researchers have discovered the potential underlying mechanism by which the inflammatory skin disease impacts cardiovascular health. In two new studies presented at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Penn researchers show that the systemic inflammatory impact of psoriasis may alter both the makeup of cholesterol particles and numbers, as well as impair the function of high density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good" cholesterol.

"Anecdotally, many researchers have observed that HDL levels may be lower in states of inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and even obesity," said lead study author Nehal Mehta, MD, MSCE, director of Inflammatory Risk in Preventive Cardiology at Penn. "However, these new findings suggest that in addition to lower levels, chronic inflammation associated with conditions like psoriasis may change the composition and decrease the function of HDL as well."

In the current studies, researchers enrolled 78 patients with psoriasis and 84 control subjects. In the first study, the authors measured fasting lipid levels and examined the number and size of cholesterol particles using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This analysis revealed that patients with psoriasis had a higher number of smaller LDL particles, or "bad" cholesterol, which was independent of traditional risk factors and obesity. "It was striking that the NMR profiles from patients with psoriasis resembled those seen in patients with diabetes, and that these patients with psoriasis had otherwise normal traditional lipid panels" Dr. Mehta added.

In the second study, the researchers measured HDL efflux, which is the ability of a patient's HDL to remove cholesterol from cells involved in atherosclerosis. This process, known as 'reverse cholesterol transport', is why HDL may have protective properties. In a previous study, researchers at Penn have demonstrated that measuring HDL efflux capacity may be a more effective barometer of protection from heart disease than measuring HDL levels alone.

In this same group of patients who had normal cholesterol levels compared to controls, patients with psoriasis demonstrated dramatically reduced HDL efflux capacity compared to control patients. This negative association observed between psoriasis and HDL efflux persisted after adjusting for traditional lipid levels and other traditional risk factors, including body mass index (BMI).

"Patients with psoriasis had an approximate 25 percent reduction in the HDL efflux capacity than the controls, despite their relatively normal overall lipid profiles which leads to the question of whether function is more important than concentration in chronic inflammatory states" Dr. Mehta noted.

The new findings may provide a critical clue to the link between psoriasis and heart disease, but the researchers say larger studies are needed to validate their findings. Joel M. Gefland, MD, MSCE, assistant professor of Dermatology and Epidemiology, and a senior author on the studies, said "We've been able to show that psoriasis is an important risk factor for vascular disease, and now we may finally be able to identify and ultimately treat the pathways by which psoriasis increases these risks."

Hello all,

i just heard about this product...I am plaqued out but Ill see if I can give it go at some point...My cousin just told me about it and he has nothing to gain from that, so you never know.
Fred if you anything will you let me know . thanks
LL

With the global incidence and prevalence of autoimmune diseases rising, the market for drugs used for the treatment of these diseases is expected to grow in the near future. Key factors driving this growth include increasing use of biologics, which command higher price than conventional drugs, and hence are major revenue earners for manufacturers. Besides, factors such as unmet medical needs and an extensive pipeline of drugs with superior efficacy keep growth prospects optimistic. Companies engaged in the development of new drugs continue to rely on superior efficacy, expansion of indications and convenient mode of drug administration for ensuring success of their products. On the other hand, manufacturers of currently marketed products are focusing on developing follow on products to retain their share in the market.

Biologics are increasingly being accepted as first line of treatment owing to their therapeutic capabilities in controlling and treatment of various autoimmune complications. These capabilities are in turn enabling pharmaceutical companies to begin label extensions for their current portfolio of biologics for multiple autoimmune problems. Humira, Enbrel, and Remicade are some of the biologics that are emerging as blockbuster drugs owing to their high efficacy profiles. Demand is also fuelled by the introduction of new products, enhanced access to drugs, and improved penetration of existing drugs. New products being launched in the market provide expanded therapeutic options for patients who fail to respond to existing therapies. These products are increasingly becoming popular as alternative to the conventional treatment options.

As stated by the new market research report on Autoimmune Disease Therapeutics, the US continues to remain the largest regional market. An aging US population and rising incidence of autoimmune diseases is driving the US market for biological therapies in the autoimmune disease therapeutic area. Though higher priced compared to conventional products, the biologics market is benefiting from the launch of novel biologics that offer superior efficacy over conventional therapeutic options. In addition, inclusion of self-administered drugs in Medicare Part D program enhanced market reach of these drugs. European market for autoimmune disease therapeutics is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 8.7% over the analysis period.

Rheumatoid Arthritis represents the largest segment in the global autoimmune disease therapeutics market. Growth in the rheumatoid arthritis therapeutics would be driven by an aging population and increasing incidence of autoimmune disorders. The demand for such therapeutics is enormous due to the high and unmet need for effective and safe agents with the ability to offer a new action mechanism. Growing at a compounded annual rate of 12% over the analysis period, Psoriasis drugs represents the fastest growing segment in the autoimmune disease therapeutics market. The global market for multiple sclerosis drugs would be driven by the high unmet need in the sector in terms of efficacy as well as safety.

Major players in the marketplace include Abbott Laboratories, Amgen Inc., Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Biogen Idec Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elan Corporation Plc, Eli Lilly and Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Genentech Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson & Johnson Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Serono SA, Novartis AG, Sanofi-aventis SA, Shire plc, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited, and UCB S.A.

Source: sfgate.com

New agents for treating psoriasis have shown great promise in terms of efficacy, but assurances of safety await further data from larger studies.

Thus far, phase II data show impressive efficacy and no worrisome safety signals for the anti-interleukin-17 agents AMG 827 and secukinumab and the small molecules apremilast and tofacitinib. However, the studies have been too small and of insufficient duration to definitively rule out cardiovascular, infectious, and cancer risks, said Dr. Kenneth B. Gordon at the Las Vegas Dermatology Seminar, sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation (SDEF).

"It is my hope that these drugs are going to be fantastic. We just have to maintain a level of concern and vigilance for both biologics and small molecules ... We just desperately need large trials," said Dr. Gordon, head of the division of dermatology at NorthShore University HealthSystem, Chicago.

The discovery of IL-17 as a key player in psoriatic plaque formation has led to a new understanding of psoriasis pathophysiology and has become a new target for drug development. However, experience with one agent that blocks IL-12/23 – which induces activated IL-17 – gives pause.

Briakinumab, an extremely effective anti-psoriatic agent that blocks IL 12/23, was withdrawn from development after phase III studies showed a signal – albeit statistically insignificant – for serious infections including cellulitis and pneumonia, MACE events (cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, and stroke), and malignancies (nonmelanoma skin cancer and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and nasopharynx).

The absolute MACE event numbers were small, but were counter to what would be expected from a systemic anti-inflammatory agent, which should reduce cardiovascular disease, Dr. Craig L. Leonardi, a clinical professor of dermatology at St. Louis University, said in a separate presentation.

According to Dr. Gordon, "It’s really an exciting time for new psoriatic therapies based on a better understanding of psoriasis pathophysiology. However, we are less excited about phase II data because of what happened to briakinumab in phase III."

It will be essential to determine the etiology of the adverse effects, he said. "If the effects are not related to how well the agent controls psoriasis but to mechanisms like IL-12 blockade that may not have relevance to IL-17, they may not show up [with the new agents in development]. That’s what the phase II studies suggest, but it’s too early to really make a final statement," Dr. Gordon said in an interview.

Source: .skinandallergynews.com

Hi!

I don't have psoriasis, but better half of me have it. And the purpose of me coming here is to get some advice from females who have this.

short story before my question

me nd my gf have been together for over 3 years now. 1 year ago she found out that she has psoriasis. after that she changed alot. We live in long distant relationship right now coz of my studies. Every time we see each other and as a healthy relationship get a lil intimate she starts hiding herself nd saying things like its ugly etc. I have tried alot to say that i like the way u are nd it doesnt bother me. but in vain. Sometimes when she has bad times nd i try to comfort she says what u would know.. well that might be true :( .

So the question is how should I tell her without making her feel like Im just sympathizing with her nd how should i be with her overall. Before this disease we fought equally (that's a part of healthy relationship also ) but right now I`m afraid coz if i say something she immediately thinks that I`m not happy with her coz of psoriasis :( . (im a lil jealous kind of guy nd shes beautiful so when guys try something nd im not there.. it boils my blood .. )

Im myself a medicine student nd the future plan is to become a psoriasis specialist


<---- haha didnt expect to see those kind of smileys in here

Psoriasis Pictures are not always easy to find and sometimes you may want to compare your skin with an image. If you have ever wanted to see pictures of psoriasis you should check out Dermnet they have over 23,000 images of all types of skin problems and the Psoriasis section is huge.

Dermnet is the largest independent photo dermatology source dedicated to online medical education though articles, photos and video. Dermnet provides information on a wide variety of skin conditions through innovative media.
Thomas Habif, MD founded Dermnet in 1998 in Portsmouth, NH. His passion for medical education and medical photography drove him to create Dermnet.

You will find pictures not only of Psoriasis but also: Acne, Actinic keratosis, Alopecia areata, Atopic dermatitis, Basal cell carcinoma, Contact dermatitis, Cyst, Cystic Acne, Eczema, Erythema multiforme, Genital herpes, Genital wart, Gonorrhea, Hair loss, Herpes simplex, Herpes zoster, Impetigo, Lice, Lichen planus, Melanoma, Melasma, Mole, Molluscum contagiosum, Nail disease, Nevi, Oral herpes, Poison Ivy, Rosacea, Scabies, Seborrheic Keratosis, Skin tag, Spider bite, Squamous cell carcinoma, Syphilis, Tinea (Ringworm), Urticaria, Vitiligo.


*Some images only suitable for adults!

I have been researching the average age at which one gets psoriasis. there is a lot of information and conflicting research, so I thought why not ask here! it could be interesting to find out from actual people rather than a paid for survey.

If you feel like taking part please use the Poll above. Members can also comment in this thread if they want to tell us more.

Guests can now take part in this poll too but why not register for membership you will find a friendly bunch of people here

The list of disease states and behaviors that potentially increase morbidity and mortality and lower quality of life for psoriasis patients is well known and includes psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, depression, alcoholism, and smoking.

Perhaps less well appreciated is the fact that psoriasis is also associated with multiple comorbidities that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity, Dr. Bruce E. Strober said at the SDEF Las Vegas Dermatology Seminar.

"The metabolic syndrome, a chronic inflammatory state that is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, is also common in patients with psoriasis," noted Dr. Strober of the department of dermatology at the University of Connecticut, Farmington. The syndrome is associated with at least three of the following five factors: increased waist circumference or abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, reduced high-density lipoprotein levels, and insulin resistance.

"Possible causes for increased cardiovascular risks in psoriasis include the use of dyslipidemic therapies, such as corticosteroids, acitretin, and cyclosporine; the increased prevalence of obesity and other associated risk factors; and uncontrolled inflammation leading to endothelial dysfunction and dyslipidemia," Dr. Strober said.

He emphasized that many questions remain about the association between psoriasis and cardiovascular risk factors. "Do the associations have any clinical relevance?" he asked. "Do specific comorbidities influence the response to therapy for psoriasis? Does psoriasis influence the response to therapy for any specific comorbidity? Will specific psoriasis therapies reduce the negative health consequences of a comorbidity of psoriasis?"

For now, he said, dermatologists might consider screening patients for the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors through laboratory evaluations such as a comprehensive metabolic panel and fasting lipids, assessing blood pressure and weight status, and asking patients about their history of smoking, alcohol use, depression, and arthritis.

Source: skinandallergynews.com

Hello all, I did some reasearch last night, being fed up with using steriod creams etc and to my suprise alot of people use glycerin oil and have good sucess with it, so i ordered some asap, Thought i'd let you all know that this creation from mother nature might be what we are looking for, definetly worth a try espeacilly how in-expensive and good for your skin it is!


In about 2002, animal model studies at Georgia Medical School established that Glycerin (glycerol) suppressed excess skin growth and foliation, and re-established normal layering. It also doubles healing speed and halves scarring. I've been using it with great success since on psoriasis flare-ups.

It penetrates the skin readily in 10-15 minutes, and is infinitely miscible with water (hygroscopic). So any excess rinses away instantly, or can be wiped with a damp cloth.

It is 3-carbon alcohol, syrupy, tastes sweet, and is an approved food supplement used in large quantities in everything from ice cream, to soaking raisins (to hold moisture in), to toothpaste, cosmetics, and skin lotions. Can be diluted to spray on, or applied by hand or on a cotton swab. For the scalp, apply 15 minutes before showering.

Works quickly, and suppresses itching better than most medications by calming the cells' cytokine output, it seems.

VERY inexpensive. Spreads readily and thinly, no rubbing in necessary.




Hope this helps! -JustDarcy.

Changes could be made to the way that Anti TNF medications are dispensed before patients undergo surgery.

Research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology has highlighted the fact that doctors have been stopping anti-TNF medications sooner than is necessary before surgery.

Investigators claim making improvements to the timings could minimise the risk of disease flares and that this is an area which warrants further study.

Dr Lisa Mandl, rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, has suggested that adopting a pharmacologically-based timing system could reduce postoperative flares.

She said: "It doesn't look like there are any increases in infections or blood clots or other problems that go along with these anti-TNFs, which is comforting for patients who are on these drugs who are going in for surgery."

Is Psoriasis Remission Possible?

There is no cure for psoriasis — but it's possible that your symptoms could simply disappear, either with effective treatment or without any treatment at all. How does this happen, and will it last?
By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

The news that you have a chronic disease like psoriasis is understandably hard to handle. And a lifetime of psoriasis symptoms — skin that's often red, scaly, flaky, itchy, and painful — seems like an unfair burden to bear.

But some people have long periods with no symptoms, known as psoriasis remission, when their psoriasis treatment is successful.

Spontaneous remission is also possible; this is when your symptoms clear up without treatment. Your immune system attacks the skin cells mistakenly, which is what triggers psoriasis in the first place, but in some cases, the body relents and allows the cells to heal.

Psoriasis Remission: How It Can Happen

No medicine will keep symptoms away forever. German scientists were recently able to isolate part of the immune system response that causes psoriasis, which could one day lead to more effective remedies, but for now the focus is on managing the condition and minimizing symptoms. With the right treatment, though, you may enter psoriasis remission and have no visible symptoms for a period of time.

However, the reality is that even if symptoms go away, they’re likely to come back. And when they do, you have to be ready to squelch them before your skin flares up too badly.

What to Do if Psoriasis Returns

When psoriasis strikes again, the best recourse is to start treating it — pronto. If your previous treatment was successful, talk to your doctor about resuming the same course. Sometimes skin becomes resistant to a certain treatment, and what was once useful is no longer effective in managing psoriasis symptoms. In that case, you’ll need to try a new approach.

There is a range of treatments available for psoriasis, including:
Phototherapy with ultraviolet light
Oral medications that target the immune system and treat the whole body
A cortisone or retinoid cream or ointment
A salicylic or lactic acid cream
Coal tar or anthralin creams
Antibiotics (if skin has become infected)

You might never be able to completely control your psoriasis and hold off a flare-up indefinitely. But you can certainly try to keep psoriasis in remission as long as possible. There are plenty of steps you can take to try to prevent your psoriasis from acting up again.

Preventing the Return of Psoriasis Symptoms

Once your skin returns to its healthy color and texture and no longer itches or flakes, you can try to ward off a flare of psoriasis symptoms with these strategies:
Moisturize and protect. Don't let your skin get too dry, as that can trigger the return of your psoriasis. To stay in psoriasis remission, use a rich moisturizer all over your body every day. It's also important to protect skin from the elements, so don't expose it to extremely cold or dry weather.
Get a little sun. Don't allow yourself to get burned — that skin damage could cause psoriasis to act up again. But a little bit of sun exposure can help keep mild psoriasis symptoms at bay — just be sure to use sunscreen.
Say "ohm." Stress is thought to be a trigger for some people with psoriasis, so find ways to relax and manage stress levels to keep red skin from flaring.
Don't scrub. You'll want to take a shower or slip into a bath each day to keep skin clean, but don't give it a vigorous scrubbing. Roughing up your skin can irritate it and trigger a psoriasis flare. Wash gently and pat dry.
Detox your body. Keeping your insides healthy will reflect well on the outside. That means you should avoid infections, restrict your alcohol intake, and definitely kick the cigarette habit.

Even if there's no cure, psoriasis remission offers the next best thing — freedom from visible psoriasis symptoms. Try different treatments to find out what works best to bring you relief from psoriasis for as long as you can keep it subdued.

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known outside the United States and Canada as MSD, today is hosting a R&D and Business Briefing.

"Innovation is the centerpiece of our growth strategy at Merck," said Kenneth C. Frazier, president and chief executive officer. "We continue to make significant progress on our strategy to drive growth from our existing portfolio and to bring forward breakthrough medicines and vaccines that address unmet medical needs and return significant value to our shareholders."

At the meeting, Peter S. Kim, president of Merck Research Laboratories, four of the company's therapeutic area research franchise heads, and the president of Merck BioVentures provided an overview of candidates in development and progress in advancing the company's pipeline. Merck has 19 candidates in Phase III clinical trials targeting a broad range of diseases.

"Merck's strong late-stage pipeline has considerable potential," said Kim. "We continue to advance important, novel candidates both in our late-stage pipeline and in our earlier pipeline to deliver on our goals to provide patients with meaningful improvements over today's treatments and to help advance global health care."

MK-3222 is an anti-interleukin-23 (IL-23) monoclonal antibody candidate being investigated for the treatment of psoriasis. MK-3222 is anticipated to enter Phase III clinical trials in 2012.

Source: merck.com

ahem..

Hi My Name is Darcy, I'm a student nurse in sydney Australia I've been suffering psoriasis for about 2 years now, I have never been diagnosed rather self-diagnosed. I've been through ups and downs from severe coverage to mild coverage and struggled ( currently mild, knees, elbows and ankles, Thankgod for summer sun) with finding things to relief my discomfort and the aesthetic side of it. So I guess i joined this forum to find some comfort with other suffers and hopefully some stumble across some product/ "miracle" cure that can help me and all of you fellow P suffers. (:
Hope to hear from you all.

I have discovered that a head on approach to Psoriasis can be a very good thing, when it comes to other people's views on the condition.
When I was on holiday in Turkey last year, my condition was not at it's worse, but was still quite visinle to other's.
My angle on this was to tell them about my condition, before they started the staring, and drawing their own conclusions.
I would show them my skin and give them a brief description of what Psoriasis was about and the treatment I was getting.
I would also explain that it is not contagious, quite often this would prompt some quetions from them and they would also come forth with other people they knew with the condition.
So now, I always take the head on approach, this also gets them to ask me how I am getting on with treatment.
It's an approach that not all of us will feel comfortable with, but for me, it helps with my confidence and can also give me another topic of conversation when people are asking me about it, instead of making their own judgements.
At least then they are in the know and don't feel awkward about asking me any questions.
Take the head on approach, it may surprise you.

I have added these new icons You will see them next to members names in their posts.

Like it says on the tin! they are either On-Line or Off-Line.

Well, I have just gone into my 11th week of treatment with Methotrexate and visited my Consultant this week.
He gave me the choice of increasing the dosage this week, but I chose to stay on 10mg, for another 8 weeks, until my next monitoring session at the hospital.
I have noticed a marked improvement in the scaling since my last hospital visit, and the treatment is still continuing to improve my skin scaling, I have also had no apparent side effects, blood tests are also very positive.
I don't need another blood test now for 7 wks.
I will now update my Psoriasis score, which I know will have come down since last time.
In the last 3 wks, the scaling has reduced by around 30%, happy days.
Good Luck to all,
Micky.

On the right hand side of each board you will see "New Thread" Click it and you will go straight to start a new thread in your chosen section. this will save you having to load the whole board section before starting your new thread.

Akron, Ohio-based Fluence Therapeutics is developing a drug-device combination that would employ a process known as photodynamic therapy to treat moderate to severe psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease. Photodynamic therapy uses chemical compounds that are sensitive to light to alter cell function.

The challenge for Fluence has been developing a device that can deliver the right amount of light, while attaching to a patient’s body and maintaining a uniform distance from the skin, according to CEO Warren Goldenberg, an Akron attorney and entrepreneur.

Now, thanks to a design developed by renowned firm Nottingham Spirk that uses tiles with light-emitting diodes attached to a flexible substrate that conforms to the body, Goldenberg thinks Fluence has overcome that challenge. The company is hoping to raise seed funding of between $300,000 and $1.3 million prepare for a larger venture capital raise later. Fluence also would use the funding to build a prototype of the new design, which is the version it plans to take to the market.

Fluence hopes to have the product on the European market in about 5 years, and is targeting Finland as an entry point. Fluence is working with a Finnish technology development company to set up European operations and locate clinical and funding partners, Goldenberg said. A Finnish location makes sense because Scandinavia has among the highest rates of psoriasis in the world, Goldenberg said.

Fluence’s goal is to obtain the CE Mark for the device in about 2 years, and European regulatory approval for the drug in 5 years. Goldenberg estimates it’ll require between $25 million and $30 million to get the drug-device combination to market.

Here’s how Fluence’s psoriasis treatment works: First, the company’s pharmaceutical, which is inert until it is activated by light, is applied to the affected area of a patient’s skin. Next, the photodynamic therapy device is placed around the affected area, and delivers near-infrared light, which activates the pharmaceutical. As the drug is activated by the light, it produces singlet oxygen, which kills the affected cells by accelerating apoptosis, the natural process of programmed cell death.

By accident, via twitter, stumbled upon this forum.
I see well recognizable posts over here.
Myself, I have Arthritis Psoriatica. But fortunately I have it under control.
Have been using Methotrexate for a short time, but felt that this was too heavy for my metabolism.
After this I found about the fumarates, which are under study over here in the Netherlands. And now I am using this and can very well live with it. It is not possible to run anymore, but I can very well do a lot of spinning.
The advantage of fumarates is that it is normal for your metabolism. The theory behind it, search for Schweckendieck on Google, is that psoriasis is not a skin disease but a problem in the immune system, which results in skin problems or arthritis.

Hello my name is Hector and I have been living with Psoriasis all my life,  I live along with it very well and it doesn't bother me most of the time. This is the first time i subscribe to a P. forum so I´m new in here.
Thank you.