Risk of mortality of people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Taiwan: A nationwide cohort study
Dr. Nithin S U
MBBS, DDVL, FRGUHS, Consultant Dermatologist
Indira Skin Care
Individuals with psoriatic disease (PsD) are at greater risk of all-cause mortality than those without PsD, reveals a Taiwan study. Specifically, the risk of death is higher in patients with psoriasis but not in those with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
In this study, the investigators used the nationwide, population-based insurance claim datasets in Taiwan from 2010 to 2018 and identified incident PsD cases using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Propensity score matching (PSM) was done to establish a non-exposed cohort. The investigators used the National Mortality Database to identify deaths and used Cox regression to assess the risk of all-cause mortality in PsD compared with PSM nonexposed individuals. They also examined the risk of death in patients with more severe disease stratified by systemic therapy use and with PsA.
A total of 108,642 patients with incident PsD (40.2% women) and an equal number of PSM non-PsD individuals were included in the analysis. Patients with PsD had a higher mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.68‒1.77; p<0.001) than age- and sex-matched controls.
After PSM, an attenuated but persistently increased risk of mortality (aHR, 1.20, 95% CI, 1.16‒1.24) was observed in patients with PsD compared with controls. Moreover, a trend of increased death was seen in patients exposed to biologic therapies, but not for those with PsA.
Individuals with psoriatic disease had a higher risk of all-cause mortality than those without the condition, even after propensity score matching and adjusting for comorbidities. This increased risk was observed in psoriasis but not in psoriatic arthritis.
Reference: May Wang CT, Huang JY, Liao PL, et al. Risk of mortality of people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Taiwan: A nationwide cohort study. J Rheumatol. 2025;52(6):590–597.
