MONDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic, moderate-to-severe pruritis adversely affects the quality of life of psoriasis patients, according to the results of a study presented at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy '06 meeting, held in San Diego.
"The worse the itching, the worse the quality of life," said Candace Majeski, M.Sc., of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. The researchers administered a series of questionnaires to 124 subjects with chronic plaque psoriasis. Included were the RAND-36, the Dermatology Life Quality Index and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Subjects were grouped according to severity of their pruritus, either none-to-mild or moderate-to-severe.
Majeski and colleagues compared the health-related quality-of-life scores, as well as anxiety and depression between the two groups. "We found statistically significant and clinically important differences in RAND 36 scores as well as the Dermatology Life Quality Index scores," she said.
After adjusting for potential confounders, the investigators found significant differences between the two groups in pain, energy, fatigue and social functioning, as well as physical and mental functioning, with more itching associated with worse quality of life. No significant differences were found in probable cases of anxiety or depression between the two groups.
Abstract (P1001)
