“Childhood Psoriasis – A Challenge For All” is the theme of the World Psoriasis Day 2010. Each year on October 29th, we celebrate World Psoriasis Day an international day of recognition and awareness for the people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. All children are invited to join the World Psoriasis Day International Drawing Competition for Children. Please contact your national psoriasis organisation our visit the World Psoriasis Day website.

Psoriasis in Children Childhood psoriasis is a problem that’s more than skin deep. It’s important to watch for signs of anxiety and depression in any child who has it – and address them promptly and with sensitivity.
In a recent study published in Family Practice News, researchers studied the medical records of 7,404 children and teens and found that kids with childhood psoriasis were more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder – most commonly depression or anxiety – compared to healthy children. In fact, over 5% of children with psoriasis had received such a diagnosis. When the researchers took into account prescriptions written for mood medications, they found that a child with psoriasis had a 25% – 47% greater risk of mental health problems.

National Psoriasis Foundation
The  National Psoriasis Foundation recently opened a new website called PsoMe to help children with psoriasis live better with their condition.

Studies show that children with psoriasis are more likely to be alienated, called names, teased and bullied than their peers. To helpreduce discrimination, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) developed this website to connect children and their families, and teach them about psoriasis and its treatments with relevant, accurate information targeted for a youth population.

To learn more, visit www.PsoMe.org.

About World Psoriasis Day?
World Psoriasis Day is an annual day specially dedicated to people with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis. Conceived by patients for patients, World Psoriasis Day is a truly global event that sets out to give an international voice to the 125 million people with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis around the world. Formed by a global consortium of patient associations from around the world,World Psoriasis Day aims to raise the profile of a condition which needs to be taken more seriously by national and international authorities.

Aims of World Psoriasis Day

• Raising awareness: to let people with psoriasis know that they are not alone and to raise the profile of this devastating skin disease and themisery it can cause. To dispel myths about the condition, such as themistaken view that psoriasis is contagious.
• Improving access to treatment: to encourage healthcare systems,governments, physicians, carers and all those responsible for psoriasiscare to allow psoriasis sufferers access to optimum therapy. For too long, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis has been low priority. They are debilitating diseases and must move up the healthcare agenda.
• Increasing understanding: to provide information to those who are affected by the condition as well as the general public in order to educatepeople about the condition so that they can discuss it more openly and confidently.
• Building unity among the psoriasis community: to provide a platform from which patient voices from around the world can speak as one and be heard by key decision makers.

The MayoClinic answer to this question in their latest newsletter. Do you take fish oil supplements? Do they help improve psoriasis symptoms?

Answer

from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D

A number of studies show that fish oil supplements may reduce inflammation and improve psoriasis symptoms, such as itching and scaling. However, not all studies have shown fish oil supplements to be effective psoriasis treatment, and, as with any supplement, there may be some risks.

Fish oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in particular — play an important role in reducing inflammation. EPA and DHA may also suppress the body’s response to white blood cells called T lymphocytes or T cells. If you have psoriasis, overactive T cells trigger immune responses and cause an increased production of both healthy skin cells and more T cells. The skin cells can’t slough off quickly enough and accumulate on the skin’s surface, creating thick, scaly psoriasis patches.

Fish oil supplements are generally recognized as safe if taken as directed. Side effects are usually mild, but can include a fishy aftertaste, heartburn and nausea. Doses greater than 3 grams a day can affect blood clotting, increase your risk of bleeding and decrease blood pressure. This may be of particular concern if you’re taking blood-thinning medication or high blood pressure medication.

If you’re considering dietary supplements or other alternative therapies for psoriasis treatment, consult your doctor. He or she can help you weigh the pros and cons of specific alternative therapies, including fish oil supplements.

Answerfrom Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D
A number of studies show that fish oil supplements may reduce inflammation and improve psoriasis symptoms, such as itching and scaling. However, not all studies have shown fish oil supplements to be effective psoriasis treatment, and, as with any supplement, there may be some risks.
Fish oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in particular — play an important role in reducing inflammation. EPA and DHA may also suppress the body’s response to white blood cells called T lymphocytes or T cells. If you have psoriasis, overactive T cells trigger immune responses and cause an increased production of both healthy skin cells and more T cells. The skin cells can’t slough off quickly enough and accumulate on the skin’s surface, creating thick, scaly psoriasis patches.
Fish oil supplements are generally recognized as safe if taken as directed. Side effects are usually mild, but can include a fishy aftertaste, heartburn and nausea. Doses greater than 3 grams a day can affect blood clotting, increase your risk of bleeding and decrease blood pressure. This may be of particular concern if you’re taking blood-thinning medication or high blood pressure medication.
If you’re considering dietary supplements or other alternative therapies for psoriasis treatment, consult your doctor. He or she can help you weigh the pros and cons of specific alternative therapies, including fish oil supplements.

Catherine Dolan from the Facebook Psoriasis Group suggests to fill in a form.  This form describes a research study that Samuel Kunjukunju from the University of Rochester is conducting.

Sam Kunjukunju, is researching into psoriasis (particularly the treatment of) and would like our help! The purpose of this research study is to look at how Psoriasis patients are managing their condition in order to further Psoriasis research.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cAZwnVTvKQ6UNoHZhE%2fC9A%3d%3d#q1

This study involves a survey of 32 questions. We estimate that approximately 500 individuals will take part in this study. You will be asked to complete questions about how you have treated your Psoriasis and your experience in managing your condition. This should take about 15 minutes. There is a small chance that some of the questions may make you feel uncomfortable. You don’t have to answer those questions if you don’t want to. In fact you don’t have to answer any question that you choose not to answer (except the initial eligibility questions). Just skip that question and go on to the next one.

Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary. You are free not to participate or to withdraw at any time, for whatever reason without penalty or loss of benefit to which you are otherwise entitled.
All answers are confidential and you will not be required to enter any contact information/information that will identify you individually. It took me under 10 minutes to complete so please if you have a spare few minutes do take part.

New Contest Sponsored by Amgen and Pfizer Offers Chance for Five People to Win a Style Consultation with Tim Gunn in New York City

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Amgen and Pfizer have once again partnered with Tim Gunn, television host, fashion consultant and chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, Inc., to launch the second year of Addressing Psoriasis™, the disease awareness program designed to help people with psoriasis get more information about their condition and feel more confident in their everyday style. Dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, M.D., and Gunn are working together, again in 2010, to encourage people with psoriasis to visit a dermatologist and take the first step in managing their condition.

This year, Addressing Psoriasis™ kicks off with an exciting new contest inviting people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis to share their personal stories about the challenges of living with the condition, including the impact on their personal style, and how they think Gunn may help them present their best selves to the world. Individuals 18 or older with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis are eligible to enter for a chance to win a personal style consultation with Gunn and the opportunity to help raise public awareness of the condition. Five winners will be chosen, each of whom will receive a trip to New York City to receive a one-on-one consultation from Gunn. To learn how to enter the contest, view complete official rules and find useful resources about psoriasis, visit http://www.addresspsoriasis.com/. You can also find Addressing Psoriasis™ on Facebook.

“Through my involvement in the first year of Addressing Psoriasis™ I learned how much of an impact psoriasis can have on a person’s physical and emotional well-being,” said Gunn. “As someone who has always been an advocate of confidence as the ultimate fashion staple, I’m thrilled to continue to help encourage people with psoriasis to address their condition, which includes visiting a dermatologist and embracing their personal style.”

From now until April 30, 2010 people are encouraged to visit http://www.addresspsoriasis.com/ and offer their tips for living fashionably with psoriasis. Questions about style challenges can also be submitted to Gunn via the Web site. Select questions will be answered by Gunn later this year in a style resource guide designed especially for people with psoriasis.

“One of the best parts about being an Addressing Psoriasis™ winner was having the opportunity to share my story with other people in the psoriasis community,” says Cynthia McGowen, a 2009 Addressing Psoriasis™ winner. “I know from personal experience just how isolating this disease can be, so I encourage people to enter the contest and connect with others who have faced similar challenges because of their psoriasis.”

Source: Business Wire

Study Shows People Taking Statins Have Less Severe Psoriasis

March 8, 2010 (Miami Beach, Fla.) — Once again, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs have been shown to be good for more than the heart.

Already linked to a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and cancer, statins also may help to improve symptoms of psoriasis, researchers report.

In a study of 232 people taking medication for psoriasis, those who also took statins had fewer of the thick, red, scaly, itchy patches that are the hallmark sign of psoriasis, compared with people who didn’t take the cholesterol-lowering drugs.

“There was a trend toward less severe psoriasis severity in people taking statins,” says researcher Adam Perry, a fourth-year medical student at Emory University in Atlanta.

The study is preliminary and doesn’t prove cause and effect. And no one should start taking statins in an attempt to ward off psoriasis symptoms, doctors stress.

But the findings, presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, raise an interesting possibility worthy of further study, experts agree.

Read the full story 

Source WebMD Health News

Psoriasis has perplexed sufferers and their doctors ever since the skin condition was first described. It persists as a major medical problem around the world, with an estimated 7.5 million sufferers in the United States alone

What do doctors think causes psoriasis?
No one seems to have a widely accepted answer to this question, and there is likely more than one cause. What seems clear is that specific immune cells called T cells mistakenly attack healthy skin cells and create an inflamed condition characteristic of infection or wound healing.

What causes the T cells to function this way is not known, but researchers speculate that it might be related to a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Also, psoriasis symptoms can clear up and return for no obvious reasons.

Are there common triggers for psoriasis flare-ups?
The Mayo Clinic Web site lists some common things that can trigger psoriasis. These include injuries to the skin (scrapes, bug bites or severe sunburn), stress, cold weather, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, a variety of medications and infections such as strep throat.

The link with strep throat is interesting. Some researchers have proposed that the streptococcus bacteria that commonly lives inside of tonsils is capable of producing “superantigens” that, through a complex series of steps involving the immune system, can trigger the symptoms of psoriasis. Although much more research is needed to prove this theory, one study reported that people with psoriasis had strep throat infections 10 times as often as usual. Also, some cases of partial or complete recovery from psoriasis have been reported after tonsil removal. However, there was no way to prove that the psoriasis remission was related to the tonsillectomy.

Do diet and nutrition play a role in the disease?
A variety of nutritional factors are being studied. These include the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, wheat gluten, antioxidants and vitamin B-12. None of these have emerged as clear-cut major factors in psoriasis, but they might help some patients. Though not a cure, prescription vitamin D analog skin creams can help reduce symptoms. Oral vitamin D supplements also might help, but combining supplements with the use of creams should only be done with medical supervision.

Since the immune system is clearly involved in psoriasis, maintaining an overall healthful diet that meets all nutrient needs is likely important. Many nutrients are known to be essential for normal immune function, so a wide variety of nutritional deficiencies could be involved and they could be different from one sufferer to another.

source: starbulletin.com

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) reported the following about getting a flu shot when suffering from psoriasis.

If you have psoriasis, you may be feeling especially anxious about this year’s flu season. The news that people with a chronic medical condition should be among the first to receive flu shots may have left you wondering if these shots are safe for people with psoriasis. The following information should help relieve your anxiety.

People who have psoriasis can get flu shots
While people who have psoriasis should not get the vaccine for smallpox, they can get the 2009 – 2010:

• Seasonal flu shot
• H1N1 (a.k.a swine flu) shot

Notice that these are both shots. You may have heard that this year’s flu vaccines also are available as a nasal spray.

If you are taking a medication that targets your immune system, you should not receive either vaccine as a nasal spray. The nasal sprays contain a live virus. Getting a live vaccine while taking a medication that suppresses the immune system can cause serious complications.

Not sure, talk with your dermatologist first
If you are not sure whether the medication you are taking to treat your psoriasis targets your immune system, you should talk with your dermatologist or rheumatologist first.

If you are taking a medication that targets your immune system, talking with your dermatologist or rheumatologist also can help you determine the best time for you to receive the flu shots.

Precautions help prevent side effects
Taking these precautions before getting a flu vaccine can help reduce side effects:

• Do not get vaccinated if you have an infection.
• When taking medication that targets your immune system, always ask if a vaccine contains a dead or live virus. You should not get a “live” vaccine if you are taking a medication that targets the immune system. A vaccine that contains a dead virus also may be called an “attenuated” vaccine.

Rest assured, most people living with psoriasis get immunizations and injections without experiencing any side effects or worsening of their psoriasis. If you do experience any side effects after getting a flu shot, be sure to report this to your dermatologist. This information can help your dermatologist plan future treatments.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)

Patients with psoriasis resistant to topical therapy frequently wait a year or longer to receive systemic therapy, investigators reported.

On average, patients continued with ineffective topical therapy for four years before their physicians initiated systemic therapy with a conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug or a biological agent.

A comparison of patients with and without long delays in systemic therapy revealed no clinical differences that could explain the delay, according to a presentation at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology meeting.

In particular, disease severity did not appear to influence the decision to initiate systemic therapy.

“Despite the availability of systemic treatment, including biological agents, there is a delay in the appropriate care of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis,” Carle Paul, MD, of Toulouse University in France, and colleagues concluded.

“Strategies are needed to improve the referral process and to reduce the time to initiation of systemic treatment in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.”

The findings came from an examination of the start of systemic therapy within the context of patients’ perceptions that their psoriasis was inadequately controlled by topical agents. The study involved 52 psoriasis patients referred for evaluation by general practitioners or office-based dermatologists.

Each patient completed a questionnaire that covered clinical and demographic information, quality of life, and symptoms of depression. Additionally, patients were asked to estimate the interval between the time they perceived their psoriasis was not controlled and the initiation of systemic therapy.

The study population’s Psorasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score averaged 18. The Beck Depression Index (BDI) score averaged 3, and the mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score was 11. The median delay in the start of systemic therapy was 13 months.

Paul and colleagues separated the patients into two groups: those who waited less than 12 months to start systemic therapy and those who waited 12 months or longer. The two groups did not differ significantly with respect to baseline PASI score (19.5 versus 23), BDI score (5.1 versus 6.3), or DLQI score (10.8 versus 12.4).

Evaluation of sociodemographic variables showed that treatment delay was more likely among patients who performed manual labor, who lived in rural areas, and whose monthly income was less than 1,200 Euros.

Source: European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology – MedPage Today

Psoriasis patients have a substantial comorbidity burden that can reduce life expectancy by 10 years or more, according to data presented recently.

On average, patients whose psoriasis was diagnosed before age 25 did not live to age 60. In contrast, a psoriasis diagnosis at age 25 or afterward was associated with an average life expectancy greater than 70.

The disparity emphasizes the need to diagnose psoriasis and initiate treatment to clear the disease and possibly increase longevity by avoiding psoriasis-related comorbidity, Wayne Gulliver, MD, said at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology meeting.

“There is an intriguing relationship between psoriasis, multiple comorbidities, and loss of longevity,” said Gulliver, of NewLab Research in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

“It is documented in the literature that individual diseases, such as diabetes, may decrease life expectancy by five or six years, and high blood pressure and heart disease by three to four years. When you start layering all of those comorbid conditions with psoriasis, then, in people who have early age of onset of psoriasis, the loss of longevity may be as high as 20 years. For people with psoriasis at age 25, it’s about 10 years.”

The findings came from an ongoing study of comorbidity among psoriasis patients living in Newfoundland and Labrador. Gulliver presented data on the nature of psoriasis-associated comorbidities and all-cause mortality in a founder population of psoriasis patients and in patients included in a newer, more contemporary dataset.

An initial comorbidity and mortality study included 3,228 patients who had a new diagnosis of psoriasis from 1989 through 2005. Almost half of the patients (1,494) had one or more acute-care hospitalizations during follow-up.

Conditions most often associated with hospitalization included digestive disorders (27.3%), circulatory disorders (25.8%), genitourinary conditions (20.5%), and respiratory disease (19.7%).

More than half (55%) of the 1,494 psoriasis patients had multiple comorbid conditions, including a third of patients who had three or more comorbidities.

Using provincial and nationwide data sources, Gulliver and colleagues examined causes of death in a founder population of 120 individuals with psoriasis and in a new dataset including 418 psoriasis patients.

In both groups, circulatory diseases were the most common cause of death (39%), followed by cancer (37.5% of the founder population and 28.5% of the more recent group).

Demographic data on patients in the founder population showed that women died at an average age of 73 and men at 67.5. Severity of psoriasis and psoriasis genotype did not significantly affect life expectancy.

However, age at diagnosis of psoriasis did. Patients whose diagnosis occurred at age 25 or earlier had an average age of 59.3 at death compared with 71.2 for patients whose diagnosis occurred after age 25 (P=0.001).

Of particular concern to Gulliver was the proportion of deaths attributed to mental and nervous-system disorders and accidental or other “external causes,” such as injury or poisoning.

Deaths due to mental/nervous system disorders increased from 3.4% to 4.3% from the founder population to the newer dataset.

External causes accounted for 2.5% of deaths in the founder population and 3.6% in the newer dataset for psoriasis patients.

“The data suggest that the risk of dying from suicide, injury, or poisoning may be as high as 1 in 600 and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease is approximately 1 in 75,” said Gulliver.

“Knowing that the risk of dying from an adverse drug event related to psoriasis treatment is less than 1 in 10,000, and that systemic psoriasis treatment may decrease the risk of cardiovascular comorbidities, it is important that physicians initiate therapy that will clear the psoriasis, improve the quality of life, and potentially decrease the risk of premature death from a psoriasis-related comorbidity,” he said.

Source: European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) – MedPage Today

National Psoriasis Foundation started a global petition for a cure for psoriasis.

October 29, 2009 is World Psoriasis Day, a global effort to raise public awareness about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and the seriousness of these diseases.

The NPF asks you to take a minute to sign this petition asking our members of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 930/S. 571, the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research Cure and Care Act of 2009, in honor of World Psoriasis Day.

TAKE ACTION FOR WORLD PSORIASIS DAY! 

World Psoriasis Day
World Psoriasis Day is an annual day specially dedicated to people with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis.

Conceived by patients for patients, World Psoriasis Day is a truly global event that sets out to give an international voice to the 125 million people with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis.

National Psoriasis Foundation
From its origins in a tiny newspaper classified ad in 1966, the National Psoriasis Foundation has grown to be the largest psoriasis patient advocacy organization in the world.

Located in Portland, Ore., the Psoriasis Foundation is run by a dedicated staff and governed by a lay Board of Trustees, all of whom have had their lives impacted by psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

I start telling  my story and hope to encourage other psoriasis patients to do the same.

Psoriasis pretty much affected my live in a severe way since it was discovered on age of thirteen in combination with vitiligo. Before psoriasis was diagnosed I was a  happy child enjoying life in every way. I was an actor at that age and performed in a lot of plays at school and played at the local theatre. After the diagnoses I got a shy, closed and pretty messed up guy. I felt ashamed, ugly and insecure as a result I had hyperventilation and panic attacks.

Life became a daily struggle to me. The dermatologist at that time told me there is no cure available and pretty much told me to accept it and that’s it. That was such a disappointment too; my thrust in medical treatment vanished immediately.

Years went by and living in my own save, protected world resulted in not really living for years. Talking to a psychologist at age 29 helped me accepting this incurable non contagious disease and helped me to find some trust in people again. With her help I started to visit a dermatologist again and she advised me to start talking about my psoriasis.

Now I write about psoriasis at my blog, I started talking about it to friends and family and even at work I shared my ‘big secret’. Surprisingly it helped me in a great way to start living again!People react positive and understanding and share their own life struggles.

There is a reason to tell this story. I haven’t been living for almost 17 years, missed out on chance to enjoy life. I hope dermatologists are aware of the role they play in giving people hope ,faith and confidence.

If my dermatologist at the age of thirteen had taken my condition seriously at the time it would have helped me dealing with psoriasis. Sure there was still a road to take in accepting the disease and overcoming the Shame of Psoriasis.

I am now thirty years old and finally I feel alive again! Still struggle with psoriasis and vitiligo every day, but at least I have thrust again, talk to people and started to enjoy the beauty of living.

Sebastiaan, Netherlands

Suffering from psoriasis, start talking! Share your story now

Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2009 Sep-Oct; 75(5): 551Bilac C, Ermertcan AT, Bilac DB, Deveci A
Department of Dermatology, Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey

Pruritus (itch) is a common symptom of many dermatological and systemic diseases. It is a common complaint among patients with psoriasis of the chronic plaque type.

Patients with pruritus (itch) suffer from more severe psoriasis although some authors did not find a significant relationship between pruritus intensity and psoriasis severity. AIMS: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between clinical features and symptoms among psoriasis patients. And also we aimed to evaluate whether the severity of disease, depression and quality of life scores could effect these symptoms or not.

Methods
Eighty seven patients with psoriasis were enrolled in this study. Epidemiological data of patients were noted. Clinical symptoms, such as pruritus, pain, burning, exudation, bleeding, weakness, etc. were interrogated. The answers to these questions were classified as ‘never’, ‘rare’, ‘sometimes’, ‘often’ and ‘all the time’. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Hamilton Anxiety-Depression Scale (HAD) were calculated for each patient. PASI and DLQI scores were classified as > or = and < 10.

Results
We found that the most frequent symptom was pruritus (96.6%). Other frequent symptoms were burning (56.3%), exudation (56.3%) and bleeding (49.4%). Hurting, sensitiveness and bothering were more frequent in women. Percentages of hurting, pain, exudation and weakness symptoms had been increasing with age. Frequency of weakness was significantly high in PASI > or = 10 patients.

Conclusion
Pruritus is a very common symptom in psoriasis. Burning, exudation and bleeding are also common symptoms seen in psoriasis. New scoring systems including symptoms of psoriasis patients may be developed for evaluating the severity of the disease.

As a result of this study, we suggest that dermatologists should be alert to the presence, frequency and relevance of symptoms experienced by their patients with psoriasis on the evaluation of disease severity both in clinical practice and in clinical trials. It is also important to interrogate these associated symptoms before deciding therapeutic approaches and evaluating their efficacies.

Original article

Commissioner of the National Influenza Center in Belgium has made recommendations for people suffering from psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis regarding the prevention and treatment of influenza, possible Swine Flu or H1N1.

Patients suffering from an inflammatory disease such as psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis show changes in the immune system therefore often need medication that can affect the immune resistance.

The Working Group ‘influenza and chronic diseases’ of the Interministerial Commissioner Influenza think that users of these medications are at increased risk of influenza A/H1N1 (Swine flu).

The working group recommends patients Swine Flu use vaccination. Patients with influenza-like symptoms are strongly advised to consult their doctor. When they are hit by the influenza A/H1N1 (Swine Flu), these patients benefit from antiviral treatment.

Patients at risk will be a priority for vaccination with the free H1N1 swine flu vaccine.

Which countries will receive the drug, and how will they be selected?
WHO has arranged the first deployment of antiviral drugs from the WHO stockpile to 72 countries. Priority was given to vulnerable countries, taking into consideration national manufacturing and procurement capacity. As necessary, other countries will be supported through regional office stockpiles.

Current information on Swine Flu
For current information on influenza H1N1 (Swine Flu), both patients and doctors rely on the website of the World Health Organization.

The National Psoriasis Foundation provide free webcast about light therapie.

“Learn about the power of light! This webcast will explain all you need to know about the different types of light therapy, including lasers, ultraviolet light A (UVA), ultraviolet light B (UVB) and natural sunlight.

Stefan C. Weiss, M.D., MHSc, Clinical Instructor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, will discuss the safety and effectiveness of light therapy and give you the tools you need to make an informed decision about using this form of treatment.”

Visit National Psoriasis Foundation to register!

What is World Psoriasis Day?
World Psoriasis Day, October 29, is an annual day specially dedicated to people with psoriasis and
psoriatic arthritis.

Conceived by patients for patients, World Psoriasis Day is a truly global event that sets out to give an
international voice to the 125 million people with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis around the world.

In 2004 members and non-members of psoriasis associations around the world launched World Psoriasis
Day to raise awareness of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Aims and Objectives

• Raise awareness about psoriasis
• Empower psoriasis patients
• Encourage healthcare decision makers to give psoriasis suffers better access to the
  most appropriate therapies for their condition
• Stop discrimination and stigmatization
• Provide a patient voice platform

Theme 2009
Psoriasis is a real disability that deserves attention

The WPD Concept for 2009 will consists of three main parts

• National political action
• Strategic global political actions, UN/WHO
• Awareness raising activities

Full story

People with 3 independent genetic variants are 9 times more likely to get psoriasis.

A specific genetic region that has been increasingly identified as the strongest genetic link to psoriasis has an even more significant role in the chronic skin disease than has been suspected, University of Utah medical researchers show in a new study.

In the Aug. 13 issue of PLoS Genetics, researchers in the U School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology confirm that the presence of HLA-Cw*0602, a gene variation or allele on chromosome 6 found by numerous investigators to be associated with psoriasis, is the “major genetic determinant” of the disease, but that other nearby genetic variations also play an independent role in contributing to psoriasis.

Read the full story