Clinical characterization, physical frailty, and depression in elderly patients with psoriasis from a reference center in Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundThere are few studies dedicated to the characterization of the geriatric population with psoriasis, which has particularities in terms of clinical manifestations and therapeutic limitations. As psoriasis is a chronic disease, presenting a higher prevalence with age, the increase in life expectancy in Brazil demands knowledge about the behavior of the disease among the elderly. ObjectivesTo characterize elderly people with psoriasis from a tertiary service, from the clinical-epidemiological point of view, presence of comorbidities, physical frailty, and affective impact, and to compare these aspects with adults with psoriasis and elderly people without the disease. MethodsCross-sectional study of 64 elderly patients with psoriasis, 64 adults with psoriasis, and 64 elderly patients without the disease. Clinical-demographic aspects, the Beck depression scale, and Skindex-16 were evaluated. Indicators of physical frailty were evaluated in elderly patients: handgrip, sit-to-stand test, fatigue, and weight loss >5%. ResultsIn the elderly, the mean age (SD) of psoriasis onset was 44 (10) years, men represented 47% of the sample, the prevalence of arthritis was 22%, and ungual involvement occurred in 72%. Topical corticosteroids were used more often among elderly people with psoriasis (100%) than among adults with the disease (86%), with no difference among other systemic treatments. Diabetes mellitus occurred in 30% of the elderly. Hypertension (59%), dyslipidemia (52%), depression (34%), and fatigue (59%) were more prevalent among the elderly with psoriasis than among the healthy controls. Study limitationsThe study was carried out in a public reference service for patients with psoriasis, all of which were undergoing treatment. ConclusionsElderly people with psoriasis from a tertiary service showed greater affective impairment, metabolic comorbidities, and physical frailty than elderly controls.