Elise Oberliesen

Until apremilast was approved earlier this year, patients with psoriatic arthritis had to rely primarily on injectable therapies, which contributed to less than optimal treatment adherence in many patients.

Patients treated with certolizumab pegol for 24 weeks showed rapid improvement in the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.

When it was approved by the FDA in March 2014, apremilast became the first oral medication approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Data from clinical trials showed it to be an effective option for patients, with a safer side effect profile than currently used PsA treatments.

Study results show that treatment with etanercept is effective and well tolerated in adolescent patients with psoriatic arthritis and other rheumatic conditions.

Study results show that obese patients with psoriatic arthritis who were treated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers who also lost at least 5 percent of their bodyweight from baseline were much more likely to achieve minimal disease activity.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, so physicians must carefully weigh the pros and cons of treatment with corticosteroids and other proatherogenic drugs.

Because these medications are immunosuppressants, careful monitoring is required in patients to guard against comorbid infection and other side effects.

Because they can share similar symptoms, gout and psoriatic arthritis are commonly misdiagnosed.

For people diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis that show only mild symptoms of joint pain and swelling, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually the first treatment option to consider.

Psoriatic arthritis is often associated with sleep disturbances, depression, and other comorbidities that can adversely affect a patient's ability to perform activities of daily living.

The National Psoriasis Foundation and other groups are working to raise awareness of the condition among physicians as part of an effort to support earlier diagnosis and treatment.