Psoriasis around the world
Psoriasis is a widely prevalent, chronic, systemic immune-mediated disease that impacts at least 100 million people worldwide.1 Unfortunately, a lack of diverse education materials in medical training programs that detail how symptoms can present differently among individuals may lead to gaps in diagnosing and managing this disease.
The global community of individuals living with this autoimmune disease experiences significant disparities in the time and effort required to receive a definitive diagnosis and treatment. A need exists to better identify psoriasis in non-white skin types, as it presents differently in people of color.2-8
Psoriasis: Real life experiences
Increased education on the clinical presentation of psoriasis among all skin colors and treatment options may help healthcare professionals better diagnose and treat this disease. Furthermore, increased awareness of this disease can help reduce the stigma that many patients face.
Explore stories from around the globe. Click on the pins on the map to learn more about the diverse experiences of those living with psoriasis.
All patients and healthcare providers featured were compensated for their time.
How psoriasis is different for people of color
Psoriasis presents differently in skin of color, which can lead to misdiagnoses and being undiagnosed more frequently in people of color. Specifically, psoriasis is typically described as redness on lighter skin, but on skin of color, the discoloration can present as shades of purple, gray or dark brown, and the plaques can be thicker.6
Click each card to learn more.
How much more likely are people of color to require a skin biopsy to receive diagnosis?
People of color are
4x
more likely to require a skin biopsy to diagnose the disease.4
Are the same types of psoriasis seen equally in white people and people of color?
Rare
types of psoriasis tend to be more common among Asian, Hispanic and Black communities.9-11
Do people of color have a slower path to diagnosis?
Yes, white people receive a definitive diagnosis
3x
faster than people of color.4
Psoriasis health risks:
More than skin deep
People living with psoriasis have an elevated risk of developing other serious conditions. More than 30% will ultimately develop psoriatic arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease that causes stiffness and pain in joints. Additionally, individuals with psoriasis have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, kidney disease and cancer, among others.12
Resources
Information and support if you or someone you know is living with psoriasis.
References:
1. World Health Organization. Global Report on Psoriasis. World Health Organization; 2016. Accessed October 6, 2023. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/204417. 2. Alexis AF, Blackcloud P. Psoriasis in skin of color: epidemiology, genetics, clinical presentation, and treatment nuances. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2014;7(11):16-24. 3. Eriksen WT, Raziano VT, Brazen A, et al. Concerns about psoriasis differ by race: implications for patient-centered goal-setting and counseling. J Invest Dermatol. 2019;139(suppl 1):S37. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2019.03.288. 4. Dickerson T, Pratt A, O-Quinn M, et al. Racial disparities in the diagnosis of psoriasis. Cutis. 2022;110(suppl 2):26-28. doi:10.12788/cutis.0576. 5. Takeshita J, Eriksen WT, Raziano VT, et al. Racial differences in perceptions of psoriasis therapies: implications for racial disparities in psoriasis treatment. J Invest Dermatol. 2019;139(8):1672-1679.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2018.12.032. 6. National Psoriasis Foundation. Why is psoriasis often misdiagnosed in skin of color? Accessed July 14, 2023. https://www.psoriasis.org/advance/psoriasis-misdiagnosed-in-skin-of-color/. 7. Takeshita J, Gelfand JM, Li P, et al. Psoriasis in the US Medicare population: prevalence, treatment, and factors associated with biologic use. J Invest Dermatol. 2015;135(12):2955-2963. doi:10.1038/jid.2015.296. 8. Holmes A, Williams C, Wang S, Barg FK, Takeshita J. Content analysis of psoriasis and eczema direct-to-consumer advertisements. Cutis. 2020;106(3):147-150. doi:10.12788/cutis.0070. 9. Shah M, Al Aboud DM, Crane JS, Kumar S. Pustular Psoriasis. StatPearls (Internet). StatPearls Publishing; Updated August 8, 2023. Accessed: October 2, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537002/. 10. Yan D, Afifi L, Jeon C, Cordoro KM, Liao W. A cross-sectional study of the distribution of psoriasis subtypes in different ethno-racial groups. Dermatol Online J. 2018;24(7):13030/qt5z21q4k2. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5z21q4k2. 11. Kaufman BP, Alexis AF. Psoriasis in skin of color: insights into the epidemiology, clinical presentation, genetics, quality-of-life impact, and treatment of psoriasis in non-white racial/ethnic groups. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2018;19(3):405–423. doi:10.1007/s40257-017-0332-7. 12. National Psoriasis Foundation. Related conditions of psoriasis. Accessed: October 2, 2023. https://www.psoriasis.org/related-conditions/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwoK2mBhDzARIsADGbjeoIHgMyP2KlG6x-2_P3T-.