IntroductionThe goal of psoriasis (PsO) treatment is to improve quality of life by lessening the extent and severity of the disease. Traditional systemic drugs and biologic agents are used for the treatment of moderate to severe PsO and recent research emphasizes understanding patient goals and preferences for treatment, to improve overall outcomes.MethodsAn online survey was administered to collect data from 500 adult patients with moderate to severe PsO in the USA. Patients were required to have current or previous systemic therapy use and were excluded if aged 75 or older. Data on demographics, disease burden, treatment use, and patients’ treatment goals and expectations were collected. Descriptive and multivariate analyses examined the factors that predict treatment goals. Subgroup analyses were performed for age, gender, severity, comorbid psoriatic arthritis (PsA), location of PsO, and biologic experience. All analyses were conducted using SAS v9.4 and R v3.4.ResultsOf the 500 adult patients included, 71.6% reported moderate PsO. Patients had a mean (SD) score of 62.4 (23.0) for skin pain, 60.0 (26.3) for fatigue, and 6.6 (2.1) for itch on a scale of 0–100, 0–100, and 0–10 respectively. Mean (SD) score for quality of life (QoL), assessed using Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), was 18.3 (7.3), with more than 90% having moderate/very large/extremely large effect on life. The majority of patients considered “keeping skin clear for 2–3 years” (94%), “overall relief of symptoms” (93.8%), and effective in clearing certain areas” (92.2%) as important attributes of a systemic treatment. Overall, patients expected 50% clear skin in about 2 weeks and completely clear skin in about 4 weeks.ConclusionsOverall, in this study with more than 70% of patients with moderate disease, patients reported high burden of disease and impact on QoL. This study demonstrates the importance of considering patient perspectives in treatment decisions that are critical for optimizing patient outcomes.FundingEli Lilly and Company.

ABSTRACT:BackgroundAcne impairs quality of life, but its effect on different races/ethnicities is unclear. This study evaluated racial/ethnic differences in acne-related quality of life and psychological symptoms among female adults.MethodsA Web-based survey was conducted with U.S. female adults (25–45 years old) with facial acne (≥25 visible lesions). Outcomes included sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, acne-related quality of life (Acne-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire), psychological symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire), and work/school productivity. Racial/ethnic differences were evaluated using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance/chi-square analyses.ResultsThree-hundred twelve subjects (Black = 30.8%, Hispanic = 17.6%, Asian/other = 17.3%, White = 34.3%) completed the survey (mean age = 35.3 ± 5.9 years). Acne negatively impacted quality of life for all subjects. Black subjects reported significantly less negative impact on self-perception versus Asian/other (Black = 12.6 ± 9.9, Asian/other = 8.4 ± 8.6; p = .05). Social functioning was less negatively impacted in White and Black subjects versus Asian/other (White = 12.7 ± 7.5, Asian/other = 8.4 ± 7.8, p < .05; Black = 12.1 ± 9.2, Asian/other = 8.4 ± 7.8, p = .06). Over one third (total sample = 40.7%, Black = 31.3%, Hispanic = 36.4%, Asian/other = 50.0%, White = 46.7%) reported moderate/severe anxiety/depression symptoms. Acne also impacted ability to concentrate on work/school.ConclusionRacial/ethnic differences were observed in acne-related quality of life and psychological symptoms in female adults; acne negatively impacted self-perceptions and social/emotional functioning.