Management of Psoriatic Arthritis

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Rheumatologist, discusses psoriatic arthritis management.

Rheumatologist, discusses psoriatic arthritis management.

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Video transcript

Featuring Dr. Kam Shojania, MD, FRCPC

Management of Psoriatic Arthritis Duration: 1 minute, 42 seconds

So about one in ten of us have psoriasis, so it's pretty common, and about one in ten of those people will get the arthritis. So once you have the diagnosis, what we do to manage it is treat both the skin and the joints.

We can sometimes do them separately or together. Dermatologists typically treat the skin with topical, or lotions and creams, and rheumatologists and other physicians will treat the joints with anti-inflammatories and other treatments very similar to rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

So managing psoriatic arthritis is interesting because there is both the psoriasis and arthritis but also psoriatic arthritis is part of this general metabolic syndrome. People with psoriatic arthritis have an increased frequency of myocardial infarction, heart attacks, strokes, and often have high cholesterol, hypertension and other things that go along with the metabolic syndrome.

So managing the psoriatic arthritis is more than just managing those two conditions, it's managing general lifestyle such as smoking cessation, weight loss, approprate diet, and keeping as healthy as possible in general.

So it's important if you think you have psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis to get the diagnosis because finding it early makes it much easier to treat. So if you have questions about psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis or you think you have it, please contact your healthcare professional.

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Video produced in conjunction with Dr. Kam Shojania, MD FRCPC, Rheumatologist, and HealthChoicesFirst

Presenter: Dr. Kam Shojania, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

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97-100 People got two or more of these video questions wrong... ( 15 participated.)

Quiz: Do You Understand Psoriatic Arthritis?

Questions
 
True
False
1

Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include warmth, swelling and pain in the joints. The skin is also affected with psoriasis, becoming red, scaly and inflamed. Psoriasis patches or plaques often appear on the scalp, elbows, lower back and knees, although it can appear on the scalp, fingernails or toenails.

Explanation:

Psoriasis can affect the fingernails and toenails.

2

With proper psoriatic arthritis treatment the joint damage can be reversed.

Explanation:

Once someone experiences joint damage from PsA, it can’t be reversed. Psoriatic arthritis can even destroy the joints if the disease isn’t properly treated or controlled.

3

Drugs made from living organisms or components of living organisms are a treatment for psoriatic arthritis.

Explanation:

Treatments for PsA are designed to prevent joint damage and control inflammation, and include disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics (drugs made from living organisms or components of living organisms).

4

Heart disease is not linked to psoriatic arthritis.

Explanation:

You also need to control blood pressure and cholesterol to prevent heart disease. People with psoriatic arthritis have an increased frequency of myocardial infarction, heart attacks, strokes, and often have high cholesterol, hypertension and other conditions that go along with the metabolic syndrome.

5

Losing weight can help the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.

Explanation:

If you're overweight, it's important to manage your diet, weight, and exercise to limit reduce extra weight on your joints, which can decrease the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.

This content is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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