Gender difference in disease expression, radiographic damage and disability among patients with psoriatic arthritis

The authors aimed to assess gender-related differences in severity of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) as reflected by measures of disease activity, joint damage, quality of life and disability.

A cross-sectional analysis was performed among patients who have been followed in a large PsA clinic. Demographic, clinical and radiographic data as well as information about quality of life and function were retrieved from the clinic database. Radiographic damage was assessed according to modified Steinbrocker score (mSS). The association between gender and the following outcome variables, radiographic joint damage, axial involvement and measures of quality of life and function, was assessed by multivariate regression analysis after adjustment for potential confounders.

Three hundred and forty-five men and 245 women were included in the study. Axial involvement was more frequent in men (42.9% vs 31%, p=0.003). In multivariate analysis, adjusting for potential confounders, men were more likely to develop axial involvement (OR 1.8, p=0.003). Men were also more likely to develop more severe radiographic damage in the peripheral joints as evident by mSS. Men were more likely to be in a higher mSS damage category compared with women after adjusting for potential confounders in multivariate analysis (OR 1.6, p=0.007). Women suffered from more severe limitations in function and worse quality of life compared with men based on several patients' reported outcomes.

Men with PsA are more likely to develop axial involvement and radiographic joint damage, while women are more likely to report about limitation in function and impaired quality of life.