American Academy of Dermatology Issues New Guidelines for the Management of Psoriasis and Psoriatic...( Dermatologists hopeful that more p...),Health

Dermatologists hopeful that more patients will benefit from increased

understanding of therapies for psoriasis

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) has released new guidelines of care for the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis based on an extensive analysis of the highest-quality scientific studies on these serious conditions. An estimated 6-7 million Americans are affected by psoriasis, and the presence of psoriatic arthritis in the general U.S. population has been estimated to affect between 300,000 and 750,000 individuals.

Published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the new psoriasis and psoriatic guidelines present the latest recommendations for treating patients with mild to severe cases of these conditions. "As a result of the impartial analysis of the most current research, physicians now have evidence-based guidelines which will help enhance the quality of care for patients and ultimately their safety," said dermatologist, C. William Hanke, MD, FAAD, president of the Academy. "The guidelines for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, which focus on the use of biologics, are the first phase of the Academy's efforts. The Academy is currently working on the second phase of these guidelines which will provide evidence-based advice for the management of psoriasis with topical therapies, ultraviolet light therapy, and systemic non-biologic therapies for psoriasis."

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition which usually begins before the age of 35 and is characterized by thick, red, scaly patches that itch and bleed. Although it is a genetic disease, it is not completely understood how it is inherited. However, there are at least eight chromosomes to date that researchers have identified as being linked to the genetic transmission of the disease. In addition, a number of environmental factors play an important role in the deve
'/>"/>