[Comparison of patients with psoriasis vulgaris vs. psoriatic arthritis with regard to the reported quality of life]

Is the health-related quality of life and functional status of patients with psoriatic arthritis worse than that of patients with psoriasis alone?

AIM

The aim of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life and functional status of patients with psoriasis (Ps), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and control subjects.

METHOD

Eighty patients with PsA, 40 patients with Ps and 40 healthy subjects were included. Physical functions were evaluated with the Health Assessment Questionnaire for Spondyloarthropathies (HAQ-S) while life satisfaction was evaluated with the Psoriatic Arthritis Quality of Life (PsAQoL) questionnaire. The Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), Disease Activity Index for the Assessment of Reactive Arthritis (DAREA), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score-C-Reactive Protein (ASDAS-CRP), Maastrich Ankylosing Spondylitis Enthesitis Score (MASES) and visual analog scale-pain were calculated.

RESULTS

The HAQ-S data revealed that physical functional status in the PsA group was worse than the Ps and control groups (mean scores: 0.5 ± 0.5, 0.2 ± 0.5 and 0.1 ± 0.3, respectively). The PsAQoL data revealed a worse quality of life in the PsA and Ps groups than in the control group but the same quality of life in the PsA and Ps groups (mean scores: 6.9 ± 5.4, 7 ± 5.9 and 3.3 ± 4.2, respectively). Both the HAQ-S and PsAQoL data were found to be moderately to weakly correlated with disease activity measures (DAS28, DAREA, BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP), pain and enthesitis.

CONCLUSION

Patients with Ps and PsA had worse quality of life and patients with PsA had worse functional status than healthy individuals. Although Ps patients with arthritis had a worse functional status than the ones without arthritis, quality of life according to PSAQoL was found to be similar between them.

Impact of psoriatic arthritis on the patient: through the lens of the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Health, and Disability

Psoriatic arthritis is associated with a broad range of problems from the perspective of the patient. These include symptoms relating to skin and musculoskeletal disease to difficulties with day-to-day activities, social interactions, paid employment, and community participation. Additional problems related to frequent comorbidities impose further impact. It has been shown that individuals with psoriatic arthritis have similar or worse disability than men older than 75 years of age in the general population, and psoriatic arthritis confers worse health status than many other common chronic diseases. The World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health provides a useful framework for considering the impact of this disease. Ideal clinical management of psoriatic arthritis would provide access to an interdisciplinary team with expertise in functional, social, vocational, and community issues, as well as to medical expertise.