One in four people with psoriasis participating in an ongoing European-wide study have showed signs of possible arthritis.
The EU-wide consortium HIPPOCRATES has established a large observational study, ‘Hippocrates Prospective Observational Study’ (HPOS), which aims to recruit 25,000 patients with psoriasis, 2,000 of whom will be from Ireland, for the fully online study.
HPOS, which involves researchers at University College Dublin (UCD), in partnership with the University of Oxford, UK, is monitoring people with psoriasis over a three-year period to see who develops psoriatic arthritis (PsA), with the aim of earlier diagnosis and treatment for those who do.
It will also inform wider research efforts to diagnose the condition earlier or predict disease progression, to develop new diagnostic tests, and to pioneer personalised therapies to prevent permanent, disabling joint damage.
Over 3,545 people with psoriasis have already signed up to HPOS, the majority from Ireland and the UK to date. The initial results of the ongoing study found that of the approximately first 1,500 participants who registered and completed its online evaluation tool, one in four showed evidence of possible arthritis.
“This study aims to find ways to identify which patients with psoriasis are likely to go on to develop PsA by developing a simple blood test that would catch the disease before there are any obvious symptoms,” said study co-lead Prof Oliver Fitzgerald, Consultant Rheumatologist, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, and UCD School of Medicine.
“In this way, we hope to be able to intervene at a much earlier stage to prevent the disease from actually occurring by modifying risk factors or by offering preventative therapies.
“This study’s initial findings underscore the importance of patient participation in building a comprehensive understanding of the early warning signs of PsA. I would encourage any person with psoriasis, who is over 18 years of age, and who has not been diagnosed with PsA, to take part. It could be the difference between an early diagnosis and prompt action, or a delayed diagnosis and significant joint damage.”
The HPOS study is open to anyone over 18 years who has been diagnosed with psoriasis, unless already diagnosed with PsA. To register or for more information go to https://hpos.study/
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