title: Quality of life and related factors in a cohort of plaque-type psoriasis patients in La Coruña, Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis can significantly affect the physical, psychological, and social aspects of a patient's life. Many studies have evaluated the effects of psoriasis on quality of life (QoL), but results in many cases are contradictory.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to assess the relationships between the characteristics of psoriasis (cutaneous severity, arthropathy, treatment) and comorbidities with QoL and to determine which factors have a major influence.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed demographic data, the severity of cutaneous involvement, psoriasis treatment, presence of arthropathy, psoriasis duration, smoking status, alcohol intake, and the presence of comorbidities. Concomitant diseases were evaluated using the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) criteria for metabolic syndrome. Quality of life was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analysis showed that factors associated with QoL impairment included gender (women experienced greater impact: odds ratio [OR] 2.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-5.49; P = 0.002); psoriasis duration (patients with longer durations of psoriasis and psoriasis treatment experienced less impairment: OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99; P = 0.004); and treatment type (impact was lower in patients receiving biologic drugs than in those using topical treatment [OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.50-6.62; P = 0.002] and in those using biologics compared with those using conventional systemic treatment [OR 2.23, 95% CI 0.98-5.05; P = 0.053]). Psoriasis severity measured according to scores on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and body surface area affected was not related to QoL impairment. Comorbidities were associated with impaired QoL in the univariate analysis but not after adjusting for other covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Factors associated with greater impairment of QoL were gender, psoriasis duration, and type of treatment. Patients receiving systemic and biologic therapies reported better QoL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of La Coruña, La Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosa María
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Torres
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pita-Fernández
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001691:Biological Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016884:Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: psoriasis; psoriasis treatment; quality of life