Increased physical activity led to improvements in the overall well-being and mental health of patients with psoriasis, according to a study published in Skin health and diseases.1
Researchers reported that after completing an exercise program, participants had lower PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) scores, improved DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) scores, and more.
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Background and methods
Previous studies have highlighted the important role of physical activity in psoriasis disease, such as one by Clinical and experimental dermatology.2 Researchers report a significant association between the level of physical activity and the likelihood of future cardiovascular disease, and point out that a higher level of activity reduces the risk.
However, the ability of patients with psoriasis to engage in physical activity like the general population is affected by several interrelated factors, including the severity of the disease, the sensitivity of the skin, the type of treatments/therapies used, the type of exercise and the type of clothing worn during exercise.3
The present 20-week cohort study included participants with chronic plaque psoriasis type 1 (with/without psoriatic arthritis). Participants used accelerometers and pedometers to measure their physical activity before and during the study. Researchers conducted a 10-week program that included 60-minute guided walks in green spaces every two weeks with the goal of achieving an activity of ≥500 MET-minutes/week. The final 10 weeks included independent activities recorded by participants.
Results
The patient cohort consisted of 16 participants (8 men and 8 women) with a mean age of 39.2 years, a median body mass index of 27.1, and varying degrees of psoriasis.
After completing the exercise program, researchers found a significant improvement in the severity of psoriasis based on PASI scores. PASI scores dropped significantly by week 10, with even more significant declines seen by week 20. 18.8% of participants achieved a PASI score of 50 by week 10, and this score increased to 50% by week 20.
The Physician Global Assessment study scores also showed significant improvement at both weeks 10 and 20, reflecting an overall improvement in the severity of psoriasis.
The physical activities also led to significant improvements in cardiometabolic health, including reductions in hip circumference, waist circumference, fasting blood sugar levels, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Cardiovascular health, as measured by pulse wave velocity, also improved significantly by week 20.
Functional capacity, as measured by physical performance (30-second sit-to-stand test, timed stand-to-stand test, and static bodyweight wall squats) and daily step count, improved significantly by week 20. However, improvements in daily step count did not reach statistical significance.
At week 20, researchers observed a significant reduction in DLQI scores, with a notable proportion (35.7%) of participants achieving a substantial reduction in DLQI scores. In addition, anxiety and depression scores also showed improvement, although the latter did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions
“Increasing (physical activity) represents a promising therapeutic intervention in the treatment of psoriasis, which may also enable personalized treatment regimens or targeted adjunctive therapy for patients who do not respond completely to standard therapy,” say Sheppard et al.
According to researchers, potential limitations of the study include the presence of self-selection bias, the use of a single experimental arm and a short intervention duration, and the lack of an assessment of participants’ body composition.
They recommended using this initial research as a basis for developing physical activity guidelines for patients with psoriasis disease.
References
- Sheppard R, Gan WK, Onambele-Pearson GL, Young HS. Increased physical activity promotes skin clearance, improves cardiovascular and mental health, and increases functional capacity in patients with psoriasis. Skin health disease. August 9, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/ski2.426
- Auker L, Cordingley L, Griffiths CEM, Young HS. Physical activity is important for cardiovascular health and cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with psoriasis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2022; 47(2): 289–296. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.14872
- Auker L, Cordingley L, Pye SR, Griffiths C, Young H. What are the barriers to physical activity in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis? Br J Dermatol. 2020; 183(6): 1094–1102. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.1897
