CME Part I Psoriasis: Which Therapy for Which Patient Psoriasis comorbidities and preferred systemic agents

Publication date: Available online 11 July 2018

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

Author(s): Shivani B. Kaushik, Mark G. Lebwohl

Abstract

Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease associated with increased risk of comorbidities such as psoriatic arthritis, Crohn disease, malignancy, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. All these factors have a significant impact on the decision to use one therapy over another. The past decade has seen a paradigm shift in our understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriasis which has led to identification of new therapeutic targets. Several new drugs have gained FDA approval, expanding the psoriasis armamentarium but still a large number of patients continue to be untreated or undertreated. Treatment regimens for psoriasis patients should be tailored to meet specific needs based on disease severity, impact on quality of life, response to previous therapies and presence of comorbidities. Part 1 of this CME article will focus on specific comorbidities and provide insights to choose appropriate systemic treatment in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.