title: Psoriasis and sport: a new ally?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is a common chronic multifactorial disease which can result in restrictions to social and recreational activities. Psoriasis subjects are at high risk to develop metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Physical activity, a vital component in prevention and management of these diseases, is reported to be potentially associated in a negative way with psoriasis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between psoriasis and physical activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anamnestic and physical examination as well as a specific doctor-administered questionnaire was performed to a group of 416 consecutive sportive subjects and 489 sex and age-matched controls. Moreover, similar investigations were executed on 400 consecutive psoriatic patients without psoriatic arthritis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psoriasis was significantly more common in controls respect to sportive group (n = 27, 5.4% vs. n = 7, 1.7%, P < 0.01) whereas a positive familial history of psoriasis was observed in similar percentages in both groups (n = 51, 10.2% vs. n = 40, 9.6%). The number of subjects performing sports activities was significantly lower in psoriasis group compared to controls (n = 44, 11% vs. n = 106, 21.3%; P < 0.001). Of these psoriatic patients, 35/44 referred that sporting activities showed a positive influence on the natural course of their disease, whereas the remaining 11 patients did not highlight positive or negative influences on their illness. Interestingly, 23.75% of psoriatic patients (n = 95) related that they had regularly carried out sporting activities before the onset of the dermatosis referring that psoriasis represented a huge obstacle to continue practicing physical activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our survey showed that regular physical activity may lower the risk of psoriasis and have a beneficial effect on the natural course of the disease, positively influencing not only the severity as well as the incidence of metabolic comorbidities, but also, through possible epigenomic, metabolic, anti-inflammatory and psycho-emotional effects, the onset of the dermatosis. However, larger birth cohort studies are needed to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Balato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Megna
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palmisano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patruno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scalvenzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ayala
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000209:etiology*; D013177:Sports; D055815:Young Adult