Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026

Measuring Psoriasis Severity at Home
Published on: March 1, 2024
Psoriasis comorbidities: results from the National Psoriasis Foundation surveys 2003 to 2011
April W Armstrong1, Clayton Schupp, Bruce Bebo
1Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA. aprilarmstrong@post.harvard.edu
Background:
Studies examining comorbidities among psoriasis patients with varying disease severities measured by body surface area (BSA) are lacking.
Objective:
To examine the association between psoriasis severity and comorbid conditions, including rheumatologic, cardiovascular and other immune-mediated diseases.
Methods:
From 2003 to 2011, the National Psoriasis Foundation conducted surveys among 5,604 psoriasis patients. The combined surveys represented the largest study to date that used BSA as a direct measure of psoriasis severity for comorbidity assessment.
Results:
Over 86% of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients reported presenting with psoriasis prior to PsA; the diagnosis of psoriasis preceded that of PsA by a mean period of 14.6 years. Compared to those with mild psoriasis, patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis had significantly increased adjusted odds of PsA (moderate: odds ratio, OR: 1.21, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.04-1.41; severe: OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.98-2.70). Patients with severe psoriasis had increased adjusted odds of diabetes (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.08-2.08) and cardiovascular disease (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.01-2.24) compared to those with mild-to-moderate psoriasis. Odds of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, Crohn's disease and multiple sclerosis were not significantly increased in patients with severe psoriasis.
Conclusion:
Compared to those with mild-to-moderate psoriasis, patients with severe psoriasis are at increased odds of PsA, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications
Classification of Asthma
Skin Diseases and Disorders
Gram-positive Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. are responsible for many of the most common skin infections. However, many...
Asthma III: Clinical Manifestations
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the colonic...