Psoriatic arthritis is a progressive, chronic, inflammatory form of arthritis. An immune-system disease, psoriatic arthritis causes pain and swelling in and around the joints that can lead to permanent damage. It can affect the hands, wrists, knees, ankles, back and feet. Symptoms also include fatigue and stiffness.
"Psoriatic arthritis can be a disabling disease and can cause permanent damage when left untreated," said Gail M. Zimmerman, Psoriasis Foundation president and CEO. "It's vital that we educate the public and medical community about the disease and its effects. We want people who have psoriatic arthritis to seek treatment in order to improve their quality of life."
The Psoriasis Foundation Benchmark Survey for Psoriatic Arthritis is the first research to establish the prevalence of psoriatic arthritis among U.S. adults, according to the Psoriasis Foundation. In surveys conducted in December 2001 of more than 27,000 adults, one-half of 1 percent said they had been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. That translates to about 1 million of the total U.S. adult population -- roughly double the number that the medical community previously suspected had the disease. Children also are affected by psoriatic arthritis but data about children is not reflected in these findings.
View the survey results in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. 
The survey shows a strong link between psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. About 85 percent of those with psoriatic arthritis reported that they have psoriasis. At the same time, about one-third of those with psoriasis said they suffer from joint stiffness, but had not been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. "This suggests that many of these people may have psoriatic arthritis and not know it," Zimmerman said. "They need to talk to their doctors about their symptoms."
Disease changes people's lives
Follow-up interviews were conducted with 448 people who had been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Of those, 84 percent said psoriatic arthritis had a moderate to large impact on their everyday lives. Three-fourths said they lose sleep or sleep badly as a result of the disease, and nearly two-thirds said it has forced them to alter their daily activities.
"We're hopeful this new data on the prevalence of psoriatic arthritis will encourage the medical community to conduct further research and develop new therapies," Zimmerman said.
About one in four people surveyed said they are dissatisfied with the medical treatment they have received for their psoriatic arthritis.
"There have been various medications used, though not formally approved, to treat psoriatic arthritis. However, many people have found those medications were less than effective or produced troublesome side effects," said Alice Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D., W.H. Conzen chair in clinical pharmacology, professor of medicine and director of the Clinical Research Center at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, N.J.
Zimmerman said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval today of Enbrel as a treatment for psoriatic arthritis is one step in the right direction toward getting help for people with the disease. Enbrel originally was approved for rheumatoid arthritis in 1998.
The initial survey interviews were conducted by Opinion Research Corp. International and Market Facts. Follow-up surveys were conducted by Robinson Research Inc. The survey project was coordinated by LaunchBox, LLC. The National Psoriasis Foundation gratefully acknowledges Immunex Corp./Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories and Biogen Inc., for their generous support in making the survey possible. The Psoriasis Foundation was solely responsible for all content and development.
About the National Psoriasis Foundation
The National Psoriasis Foundation is the only nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to improving the quality of life for those with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and their families. It receives its principal support from public donations. Its mission is to raise public awareness about these diseases and their treatments and to support ongoing research.
The organization is headquartered in Portland, Ore., and serves the millions of men, women and children diagnosed with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. For more information, please call the Psoriasis Foundation at (800) 723-9166 or tour this Web site
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Gail M. Zimmerman is available for interviews. The Psoriasis Foundation also has a physician and several psoriatic arthritis patients who are willing to be interviewed by reporters. Please contact Molly Marshall or Melissa Moore to arrange interviews.
