During the Maui Derm Hawaii 2024 conference, Joel Gelfand, MD, highlighted the challenges in managing psoriasis, particularly in patients with comorbidities. Recent studies have shown that individuals with psoriasis are more susceptible to various cardiovascular risk factors. One noteworthy study focused on comorbidities in patients with plaque psoriasis who have skin of color (SOC). The study revealed that these patients do not have a higher comorbidity burden compared to White patients, despite experiencing poorer outcomes. This suggests that comorbidity burden in psoriasis is not significantly influenced by race.

April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, and her team conducted a comprehensive cross-sectional study using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey spanning 2002 to 2016 and 2018. They found that the mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores across different racial and ethnic groups did not show significant differences. The study concluded that treatment outcome disparities in SOC patients with psoriasis are likely linked to external factors like socioeconomic status and healthcare access, rather than inherent racial differences.

Reference: Socioeconomic Factors Contribute to Differences in Psoriasis Outcomes. Physician’s Weekly. Updated March 7, 2024. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://www.physiciansweekly.com/socioeconomic-factors-contribute-to-differences-in-psoriasis-outcomes/