Incidence
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 3% of the global population has psoriasis. The disease can develop at any age but is most commonly diagnosed between the ages 15-35, affecting men and women about equally. A secondary increase in the incidence of psoriasis occurs among people in their mid-fifties.
Heredity certainly plays a major role in predisposing people to psoriasis. The disease appears to be most prevalent among people of European descent.
- About a third of psoriasis patients have a family history of the disease.
- If you have a parent or older sibling who has psoriasis, you have a 10-20% probability that you will also develop psoriasis.
- Identical twins are three times more likely than fraternal twins to both develop psoriasis.
The vast majority of people develop relatively mild symptoms, with a limited number of plaques that can be managed with topical treatments.
- About 20% of people with psoriasis have symptoms severe enough to warrant use of systemic agents and/or phototherapy and are responsible for most of the costs associated with the disease.
- From 10-30% of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis.
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Contact Information:
Canadian Skin Patient Alliance
2446 Bank Street, Suite 383
Ottawa, Ontario
K1V 1A8
Christine Jackson, Executive Director
phone: 613-422-4265
fax: 613-422- 4267
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