Can You Prevent Psoriatic Arthritis if You Have Psoriasis?

Staff
By Staff
3 Min Read

Other health conditions may increase your risk of developing PsA. Research suggests that people with psoriasis who have one or more of the other health conditions below are more likely to develop PsA.

Experts don’t yet know if these conditions increase the risk of PsA in those with psoriasis or if other factors are at play. But managing these conditions may reduce the risk of developing PsA. These conditions include the following.

Obesity

Many people with PsA also have obesity. Obesity may also increase the risk of PsA, because both conditions involve inflammation. Obesity makes PsA harder to manage, research suggests, while weight loss appears to reduce symptoms.

According to Eric Ruderman, MD, a rheumatologist and a professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, “There is no question there is a link between obesity and psoriasis, and that there is a higher risk in those with obesity of developing psoriatic arthritis on top of psoriasis.”

Dr. Ruderman adds that “diet is not one-size-fits-all” but recommends limiting processed foods and excess sugar and aiming for a balanced diet with lots of vegetables.

“If you believe that specific foods may trigger your psoriatic arthritis symptoms, it may be reasonable to avoid those foods for two to four weeks to see if your symptoms improve, but there are no particular foods that we generally recommend avoiding if you have psoriatic arthritis,” Ruderman says.

Musculoskeletal Conditions

People with psoriasis who have nonspecific musculoskeletal symptoms, such as joint pain, fatigue, and stiffness, often go on to develop PsA. The link is unclear. Rather than being a cause, these could be early symptoms of PsA.

But, in those with genetic features linked to PsA, experts believe an overuse condition or injury could trigger the disease.

If you have psoriasis, taking measures to avoid traumatic injuries and overuse could help delay or prevent PsA.

Depression and Anxiety

Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, often occur with psoriasis. Depression, anxiety, or both also affect around one-third of those living with PsA.
Many experts believe there’s a link between depression and inflammation. How they’re linked is unclear, but there seems to be a bidirectional relationship, where each makes the other worse.
So, while living with inflammation increases the risk of depression, depression also appears to trigger physical changes in the body that result in inflammation.
It may be that the challenges of living with psoriasis lead to depression which, in turn, increases the risk of PsA.

Seeking treatment for depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders may improve your quality of life with psoriasis and lower your PsA risk.

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