Scientists recruit 2,000 Britons to find a link between psoriasis and arthritis
Scientists recruit 2,000 Britons to find link between psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis later in life
- According to research, more than 150,000 Britons suffer from psoriatic arthritis
- Researchers want to discover the connection between the skin condition and arthritis
The link between the skin disease psoriasis and the development of arthritis later in life will be investigated in a first study of its kind.
Psoriasis causes red, scaly, and itchy patches of skin all over the body, and studies show that about one-third of patients will eventually also be diagnosed with the painful joint condition.
While more than 150,000 people in the UK have these two conditions – known as psoriatic arthritis – scientists don’t know what causes them.
Experts say this study of 2,000 Britons could help scientists uncover crucial risk factors and develop treatments that prevent this disease.
The participants, who have been diagnosed with psoriasis but have no arthritis symptoms, will be followed for several years to see if they develop psoriatic arthritis.
British scientists want to find a link between psoriasis and developing arthritis later in life
About 150,000 Britons suffer from psoriatic arthritis and the new study will try to find a link between the two painful conditions
They will have regular blood tests and a genetic test to identify any telltale patterns in their DNA.
Scientists from the Hippocrates medical research group are looking for common factors between patients who develop psoriatic arthritis. Specific inherited genes are thought to play a role, as the condition often runs in families. Smoking and obesity have also been linked.
But Professor Laura Coates, a rheumatologist at the University of Oxford and one of the researchers, says there are other factors to consider: ‘We want to see if you are more likely to get arthritis if your psoriasis is very severe, in compared to those who have mild symptoms. We will also investigate whether medications patients take to treat psoriasis have any impact, as well as underlying health conditions such as heart disease and depression.’
She hopes the results of the study will help doctors better manage psoriatic arthritis, saying: ‘If the main indicators are weight and diet, for example, we can recommend that people with psoriasis follow a certain diet.
“It’s possible that this data will eventually lead us to discover a treatment to stop psoriatic arthritis before it can start working.”