Psoriasis patients have more addictions

[Fred]

This study suggests that psoriasis patients have more addictions than the general population.

Quote:

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Background:
Psoriasis is a disease of enormous socio-economic impact. Despite approval of numerous highly efficient and costly therapies, a minor proportion of severely affected patients actually receives sufficient treatment.

Objective:
To investigate whether addictions are associated with psoriasis and to develop evidence-based recommendations for dermatologists in their daily clinical practice in order to improve medical assessment of psoriasis and patients’ quality of life.

Patients and Methods:
Psoriasis patients at the University Department of Dermatology were asked to fill out a paper-based self-reported anonymous questionnaire with 92 questions of validated screening tests for the six most common addictions in Germany (alcohol, nicotine, drugs and illegal drugs, gambling, food). Body weight and height as well as current Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) were documented as well.

Results:
Between October 2015 and February 2016 102 patients (65 males, 37 females; mean age 49.7 years (SD 13.4), range 18 - 83 years) participated in the study. Fifty-seven of the 102 patients showed addictive behavior. Of these 23.8% were high risk drinkers, 41% regular smokers, 11% at risk of drug abuse, 4.1% at risk of food dependency, and 19% compulsive gamblers. Compared to the general population, these results are significantly higher for alcohol abuse (p < 0.005), nicotine (p < 0.001) and gambling (p < 0.001). Body-mass-index was significantly higher in the study population (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:
Addictions and gambling are more prevalent in patients with psoriasis compared to the general population. Respective screening measures are recommended in daily practice for doctors treating psoriasis patients and PeakPASI is suggested as a score to document patients’ lifetime highest PASI. Parallel to new drug approvals and even more detailed insights into the pathomechanism of psoriasis, public health strategies and interdisciplinary approaches are essential for a general sustained psoriasis treatment.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

*Early view funding unknown.

[Caroline]

Mmm. I wonder how this would reflect on the board members and if it would fit.
But it is of course difficult to create a poll that will keep you anonymous, as I can guess that nobody wants that kind of addictions in the open.

Personally I don't match to the addictions that are mentioned, however... chocolate...

[JohnB]

Interesting results but you do wonder whether the Ps has driven a lot of patients to addictions. Or is it an addiction makes Ps worse?

[Turnedlight]

Excuse my language, but, WTF?

How blooming rude! I don't have addictions thank you very much. I am a bit fat but it's not some sort of compulsive eating thing. I have never smoked, hardly drink any alcohol, never set foot in a bookies..

I'm a pretty positive, optimistic kind of person, but these studies which have so far decided I'm much more likely to have heart disease, die young and be a gambler with a drinking problem are starting to get me down!

Maybe they can do the same study on people with some other disease and see if they can't just find the same correlation. And maybe they can do a bigger study as 102 is a pretty small group..

[Fred]

@Caroline we could run a poll but the person that started the poll would be able to see who voted which way. So yes it may be difficult to get honest opinions from some members but if it was made a guest vote then it may bring in some good information.

@John That is a good question I think I had addictions before psoriasis, but I also think I picked some up because of psoriasis. I'm addicted to Psoriasis Club.

@TL "WTF" must be some foreign language that you are addicted to as I don't have a clue what you are on about.  

[Caroline]

WTF means Way Too Far, indicating that this study is way over the top in its suggestions. And as I read TL's (who is TL?) comment then she suggests that other diseases may come out much worse than Psoriasis.

Oh, and yes I am also addicted to Psoriasisclub, and to sports, motorcycling and dancing, I also love my bed, inevitably each night I cannot withhold myself from it.

Seriously, in my case all the mentioned addictions will not correspond to my Psoriasis, stress though may have been a heavy factor.

[Fred]

Ha and I thought WTF meant "Where's The Food"

I was addicted to Chinese burns as a kid. I just couldn't  stop doing them.

Oh I have gone  

Someone ban me.

[mataribot]

My addiction is expensive prescription medication for my psoriasis.

[jiml]

Good to see we are all taking this study of 102 people seriously    .......I think rather than run a poll on it I could run a book and take bets .....
WTF ( where's the fridge) I need a beer ...seriously I don't have any addictions apart from this place, I used to smoke...but that was before I got psoriasis ....I wouldn't know how to place a bet in a bookies, weed to me now is a plant out of place in the garden..back in the 60s it was a fun thing to smoke

[Caroline]

Ha and I thought WTF meant "Where's The Food"

I was addicted to Chinese burns as a kid. I just couldn't  stop doing them.

Oh I have gone  

Someone ban me.

But, enumerating our common reactions, where there is no sign of any serious addiction, they should not visit the bar though, eh, Jim did you already bring the empty bottles back and got back the deposit money?  Where was I...

Well basically this research is tendentionally bad. It places us as a group in a very bad daylight. I don't like that. It makes me   . As it even very well may be that Psoriasis sufferers change into a healthier way of living as that helps against the psoriasis.  
Wouldn't it be time to react on this research on e.g. Twitter, to protest against it?

What do you think of that?