Comorbidities Associated With Psoriasis Create Burden Among Patients

Psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease, is often linked to many comorbidities that affect treatment decisions and the overall management of the disorder, according to new research.

A study published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology utilizes the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan database to identify the prevalence of comorbidities among psoriasis patients. The database includes US administrative claims for commercially insured adults, their dependents, and those with Medicare supplemental insurance.

Patients at least 18 years old who were diagnosed with psoriasis between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2014, were included in the study and referred to as the psoriasis population. Psoriasis patients enrolled in a continuous health plan 6 months before through 6 months following the index date of diagnosis were included as the continuously enrolled population.

The review found 1.22 million patients had at least 1 claim of a psoriasis diagnosis between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2014. Of these, 469,097 adult patients (at least 18 years old) had at least 2 claims of psoriasis diagnosis, while 292,999 patients met the criteria for the continuously enrolled population and made up 4.1% of adult psoriasis patients in the US in 2010.

The study analyzed the prevalence of 24 comorbidities in the total 469,097 adult psoriasis patients during the study period and found the most common comorbidities to be hyperlipidemia (45.6%), hypertension (42.2%), depression (17.9%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (17.5%), and obesity (14.4%).

“Medical insurance claims databases can be utilized to study large populations of patients and provide an effective means to assess comorbidity rates in real-world patients,” the study notes.

By detailing the high rates of comorbidities experienced by psoriasis patients, clinicians and healthcare professionals will be more knowledgeable and prepared to provide necessary care for patients.

“The use of very large insurance claims databases for determination of comorbidity prevalence may aid health care professionals in providing more comprehensive management of psoriasis,” the study concludes.