About PsA
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) facts
Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints and skin. An estimated 1 million people in the U.S.
suffer from psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis usually develops between the ages of 30 and 50.1
85% of patients experience skin symptoms before joint symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.
Men and women are equally at risk.2 If you are experiencing joint pain, stiffness and swelling and
have skin lesions (raised red or silvery white patches), it is possible that you have psoriatic arthritis.
What causes psoriatic arthritis?
There are no clearly defined causes of psoriatic arthritis; however, almost all people who have psoriatic arthritis
also have psoriasis.
- Immune factors: people with psoriatic arthritis have excess levels of a substance called TNF-α, which is a protein
that normally protects the body against infection or injury.
- Heredity: a predisposition to psoriatic arthritis runs in some families.
- The environment: environmental factors may play a part in the development of psoriatic arthritis.