Death from psoriasis: representative US data.
OBJECTIVE
Psoriasis can be associated with severe, life-threatening exacerbations. We sought to approximate the mortality associated with hospitalizations for psoriasis.


METHODS
We analyzed data from two sources to estimate a death rate associated with psoriasis.


RESULTS
There were 471 hospital admissions for psoriasis from 1988 to 2001 with a corresponding mortality rate of 1.5%. Documented on nationwide death certificates, there were a total of 29, 33, and 25 deaths attributable to psoriasis in 2001, 2000, and 1999, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Though effective therapies for severe psoriasis are available, access to them is not guaranteed. It is disturbing to think that the deaths observed here could, at least in part, be prevented with the appropriate use of treatments.
Pearce
Daniel J
DJ
Center for Dermatology Research, Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Lucas
Jennifer
J
Wood
Ben
B
Chen
John
J
Balkrishnan
Rajesh
R
Feldman
Steven R
SR
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000401:mortality*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology