Psoriatic Arthritis Outcomes Worsened by Comorbidities

Comorbidities in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PA) were associated with worse disease activity, risk of treatment discontinuation, and reduced clinical response, according to the results of a recent study.

For their study, researchers identified 1750 patients and collected data on disease activity, comorbidities, and psychiatric comorbidities.
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Overall, patients with higher scores on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) had significantly higher disease activity at baseline compared to individuals without comorbidities. Further, CCI scores of 2 or greater were associated with shorter adherence to treatment, as was the presence of depression and/or anxiety. Scores of 2 or greater were also associated with increased risk of tumor necrosis factor-inhibitor (TNFi) therapy discontinuation, compared with individuals with lower scores.

“Presence of comorbidities was associated with higher baseline disease activity, increased risk of TNFi treatment discontinuation and reduced clinical response rates in a cohort of Danish patients with [psoriatic arthritis].

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Ballegaard C, Hojgaard P, Dreyer L, et al. The impact of comorbidities on effect and discontinuation of tumour necrosis factor inhibitor therapy in psoriatic arthritis: a population-based cohort study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017. 76(2):96.