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Marcela Moreno
News from the Latina Agency for Medicine and Public Health
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that can affect 2 to 3% of the population, it is a non-contagious disease that is generated by the genetic predisposition of each patient.
It usually manifests as red, scaly patches on the skin, which are very itchy and mostly occur in areas such as the elbows, knees, scalp, nails, hands and feet, but can also occur in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. more than 10% of the body and may even affect the whole body.
In an interview with the Medicine and Public Health Journal, Dr. Eneida M. De La Torre Lugo, a specialist in dermatology, explained that “Psoriasis is a condition associated with other conditions. It is associated with metabolic syndrome, which means that patients with psoriasis can present with hypertension, high cholesterol, overweight, and diabetes. So psoriasis is a condition that we must consider as a manifestation of how the body is internally “
The specialist highlighted the importance of psoriasis patients receiving multidisciplinary care where other conditions of their body besides the skin are evaluated.
“Patients look at what their skin looks like, but they also have to look at what’s inside, because in psoriasis I can see what their elbows, knees and scalp are like, but I don’t know what it is like. the heart and that we do not see if the patient does not go to his cardiologist, his general practitioner, so it is very important for the patient to know that the body is a whole, ”said Dr. De La Torre.
The specialist also stressed the importance of controlling other diseases such as diabetes or cholesterol and blood pressure, as if left unchecked they can further influence the symptoms of this chronic disease.
Lack of control could cause heart or cerebrovascular infarctions according to studies; hence, adherence to treatments and the control of stressful episodes, which is also another trigger, and can cause exacerbations in patients.
According to the dermatologist, the moderate to severe patient should be treated by a dermatologist, because the creams will definitely not work properly. There are many treatment options for these patients, so it is important that they seek help.
Making dietary changes and eliminating bad habits like smoking and alcohol is appropriate because it is associated with comorbidities such as suffering from heart problems.
Psoriasis in the pandemic
The dermatologist specified that at the beginning of the pandemic there were concerns about the protocols to be followed with the treatments, some patients stopped the treatments for fear of leaving the house, but to date it is already known that they can be continued.
“It has been shown that we can continue with the treatments. If you have to be careful with certain medications, especially systemic ones, then it is recommended that patients switch to drugs with fewer side effects, these were the recommendations of the American Academy of Dermatology, ”added the specialist.
He stressed that, thanks to telemedicine and the help of pharmacies, many people were able to continue medical treatment.
Dr. De La Torre is working on a study on a biological inhibitor of interleukin-23, with which they seek to provide treatment options and benefits to patients with psoriasis, which although it is a skin disease that cannot be cured, if can be controlled. The patient must seek the most suitable treatment for him and have the support of several specialists to cure his medical condition.
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