One in four people with psoriasis may show early signs of psoriatic arthritis, according to initial results from the Hippocrates Prospective Observational Study (HPOS).
The study is conducted by researchers at University College Dublin (UCD) in partnership with the University of Oxford and aims to monitor people with psoriasis to see if psoriatic arthritis can be spotted and treated earlier. So far, approximately 1,500 participants have registered and completed an online evaluation tool.
“This study aims to find ways to identify which patients with psoriasis are likely to go on to develop psoriatic arthritis by developing a simple blood test that would catch the disease before there are any obvious symptoms,” says consultant rheumatologist at St Vincent’s University Hospital and study co-lead Professor Oliver FitzGerald of the UCD School of Medicine in a news release.
“In this way, we hope to be able to intervene at a much earlier stage to prevent the disease from actually occurring by modifying risk factors or by offering preventative therapies.
“This study’s initial findings underscore the importance of patient participation in building a comprehensive understanding of the early warning signs of psoriatic arthritis. I would encourage any person with psoriasis, who is over 18 years of age, and who has not been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, to take part. It could be the difference between an early diagnosis and prompt action, or a delayed diagnosis and significant joint damage.”
The HPOS study is open to anyone older than 18 years who has been diagnosed with psoriasis, unless already diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.
