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New psoriasis research and treatments offer hope for patients

Dr. Howard Rogers

Psoriasis [pronounced sore-EYE-ah-sis] is a noncontagious, lifelong skin disease that has been diagnosed in 4.5 million adults in the United States.  Psoriasis is a genetic disease that manifests in the skin.  Although there is no cure, the National Psoriasis Foundation and the federal government are promoting and funding more research than ever before to find the cause and cure for the disease. August is National Psoriasis Awareness Month.

There are five different types of psoriasis, the most common being plaque psoriasis.  This form of the disease causes patches of skin called “lesions” to become inflamed and covered by silvery white “scale,” which is a cluster of dead skin cells.  The lesions can be uncomfortable and may sometimes cause itching and pain.  Psoriasis can be limited to a few lesions or can involve moderate to large areas of skin. The severity of psoriasis can vary from person to person; however, for most people, psoriasis tends to be mild.

No one knows exactly what causes psoriasis, but it is believed to have a genetic component. Most researchers agree that the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. A normal skin cell matures and falls off the body's surface in 28 to 30 days. But a psoriatic skin cell takes only three to four days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off (shedding), the cells pile up and form the lesions.
Dr. Howard Rogers, a dermatologist on the Backus Hospital Medical Staff, explained that psoriasis is a very common condition.

“This disease affects 2-3 percent of the population, so people living with psoriasis shouldn’t feel like they are the only person who has it,” Dr. Rogers said. “In the majority of cases, dermatologists have many different treatment options to offer psoriasis patients, so we are able to control it.  There should be no stigma attached to the disease.”

Psoriasis is not contagious. The psoriatic lesions are not infections or open wounds.  Although psoriasis is often misunderstood by the public, people with psoriasis pose no threat to the health or safety of others.  For the most part, they are able to function normally, maintaining normal relationships and performing daily activities. 

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, psoriasis affects over five million people in the United States, and 125 million people worldwide.  The disease often appears between the ages of 15 and 25, but can develop at any age.

There is no cure for psoriasis, but many different treatments can clear psoriasis for periods of time.  The main forms of treatment for this disease are topical (on the skin) and systemic (throughout the body).  Topical treatments include moisturizers, salicylic acid, and steroids.  If psoriasis doesn’t respond to topical medications, a doctor might prescribe a more potent systemic medication to be taken in pill form or as an injection.  People often need to try out different treatments before they find one that works for them. 

“There are many new treatments and technologies being developed to control psoriasis,” said Dr. Rogers.  “Although there is no cure, there is a ton of research being performed to learn more about the disease, and there is hope for the future.”