National Psoriasis Foundation marks World Psoriasis Day with call to support psoriasis legislation
PORTLAND, Ore. (Oct. 25, 2007)—In observance of World Psoriasis Day Monday, Oct. 29, the National Psoriasis Foundation will mobilize members and supporters around the country to push for increased funding for research and better access to care.
World Psoriasis Day, now in its fourth year, is a global effort to raise public awareness about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and the seriousness of these diseases.
An estimated 125 million people worldwide suffer from psoriasis, a disease often dismissed as a cosmetic skin condition. In reality, psoriasis is a serious, genetic disease of the immune system that researchers have linked to other medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, liver disease and obesity. Psoriasis is not contagious, but for those who have it, the disease can be both a physical and emotional burden.
In the United States, where as many as 7.5 million people have psoriasis, the Psoriasis Foundation will ask volunteers to join our Psoriasis Action Network to draw attention to the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act of 2007 (S.1459/H.R.1188). This proposed legislation, introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate earlier this year via the efforts of the Psoriasis Foundation, would boost psoriasis research and improve patients’ access to care.
“World Psoriasis Day is an excellent opportunity to educate our national leaders about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis,” said Psoriasis Foundation President and CEO Gail Zimmerman. “Policymakers need to understand the importance of funding research that could lead to better treatments and a cure—and a better quality of life for people coping with an often debilitating disease.”
To learn more about the National Psoriasis Foundation, or World Psoriasis Day, go to www.psoriasis.org or call 800.723.9166.
About psoriasis
Psoriasis is a genetic, life-altering disease that results when faulty signals in the immune system prompt skin cells to regenerate too quickly, causing red, scaly lesions that can itch, crack and bleed. As many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis, according to the National Institutes of Health. Ten percent to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory disease which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. There is no cure yet for this lifelong disease.
About the National Psoriasis Foundation
The National Psoriasis Foundation is the leading patient-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of millions of Americans with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis, and their families. The Psoriasis Foundation focuses on education, advocacy and research toward better treatments and a cure. For more information, please call the National Psoriasis Foundation, headquartered in Portland, Ore., at 800.723.9166, or visit www.psoriasis.org.
About World Psoriasis Day
World Psoriasis Day is sponsored by the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA), a global consortium of patient associations from all over the world, including the National Psoriasis Foundation, a founding member of IFPA. Through events such as World Psoriasis Day, IFPA works to guarantee universal access to treatments and to raise awareness and understanding of this disease.
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