With Age Comes Reduced Treatment Access for Psoriasis Patients

Age matters when it comes to patients’ access to psoriasis treatment.

Marcus Schmitt-Egenolf, professor of dermatology, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umea University, and colleagues investigated the effects of aging on patients’ access to modern pharmaceuticals in psoriasis healthcare.

Analyzing a cohort of 1,456 psoriasis patients, the researchers used a model that measured the effect of aging on the probability of starting a treatment with biologics.

Schmitt-Egenolf found that an age increase of 30 years resulted in a mean 65% reduction in likelihood of obtaining treatments with biologics. The study, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, showed that the patient’s access to treatment methods with biologics was reduced with each passing year.

Individuals suffering from psoriasis often need regular treatment — typically starting biologics when other medicines prove futile. While biologics are effective treatment methods, they are often expensive.

Schmitt-Egenolf commented in a news release, “The differences are becoming increasingly clear if you compare a mother to her daughter and supposes that there is a 30-year age difference. The chances for the mother to start a treatment with biologics are then a third in comparison to the daughter and the only reason for this is her age.”