What is PsA?

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory disease in which the immune system “attacks” the joints and skin. PsA affects less than 1% of the general population, and it is estimated that up to one-third of the 1 million Canadians living with psoriasis also suffer from PsA1,2. Moreover, PsA affects men and women equally, in both proportion and presentation of disease. If left untreated, PsA may lead to lasting complications, namely irreversible damage to joints.


References
1Gottlieb A, Merola JF. Psoriatic arthritis for dermatologists. J Dermatolog Treat. 2020 Nov;31(7):662-679. doi: 10.1080/09546634.2019.1605142. Epub 2019 May 7. PMID: 31014154.
2Tiwari V, Brent LH. Psoriatic Arthritis. 2020 Aug 10. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan–. PMID: 31613490.
The What is PsA? section was written by:
Yuliya Lytvyn, PhD Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Richie Jeremian, PhD Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, McGill University
Reviewed by:
Dr. Vinod Chandran - April 2021