title: An epidemiological study on trigger factors and quality of life in psoriatic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the role of stress, tobacco, drugs, infections, allergies, heredity, alcohol, hormones and skin aggressions as trigger factors and the impact on quality of life in a sample of psoriasis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  a transversal study performed in 90 patients affected by psoriasis between January and November 2012 at the "Nene Tereza" University Hospital, Tirane, Albania, based on two scored questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  more than 70 % of patients reported that stressful events caused a flare- up of their psoriasis (p< 0.05). More than 60% of males and 20% of females were smokers (p< 0.05). About 20% of our patients were taking one or more of the medications listed in the questionnaire (p> 0.05). About 20% of patients reported having had recurrent infections (p<0,05). About 80% of males patients consumed alcohol (p<0,05). More than 40% reported a relative with psoriasis. Statistical comparison of the group that reported skin aggressions with the group that did not revealed a significant difference (p<0,05). Only a few of them reported to have allergies (p>0,05). About 36% of females reported that hormonal changes (puberty and menopause) exacerbated their psoriasis (p<0,05). More than 40% of patients reported that psoriasis seriously affects their quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  stress, tobacco, infections, heredity, alcohol, hormonal changes and skin aggressions were confirmed as trigger factors for psoriasis in the present sample. Allergies and the investigated drugs seemed not to have any influence in flare-ups. We found that psoriasis had a serious impact in the quality of life in over of 40% of the patients interviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, UHC Nene Tereza, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Alert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xhaja
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, UHC Nene Tereza, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Entela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shkodrani
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, UHC Nene Tereza, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Silvan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frangaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, UHC Nene Tereza, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Loreta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuneshka
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, UHC Nene Tereza, Tirane, Albania.
authors.forename: Ermira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vasili
keywords: Albania; psoriasis; quality of life; trigger factors