health travel

"This meta-analysis did not show a significant increase in the risk of MACEs associated with the use of anti-lL-12/23 agents. Limitations of this study, however, prevent us from determining whether these drugs expose psoriasis patients to increased cardiovascular risk. Access to patient-level data for these studies was not granted by any of the study sponsors, which precluded the use of a more statistically robust time-to-event analysis.

The small number of MACEs that occurred in placebo-controlled phases of these studies and the limited duration of the placebo-controlled phases reduce the power of this meta-analysis to detect a change in risk."

They added:

"Although RCTs are currently the criterion standard for measuring clinical efficacy in psoriasis therapies, these studies are designed to detect differences in the severity of psoriasis in response to therapy over short periods of treatment and are often underpowered and of too short duration to detect rare or long-term adverse events. Careful consideration of these issues is warranted to best serve patients in these studies and those who are treated once drugs are approved."

Chronic Plaque Psoriasis

Approximately 80% to 90% percent of people with psoriasis have this type. The patient has raised areas of inflamed skin covered with plaques - silvery white scaly skin. A flaky, white accumulation of dead skin builds up on the plaques, this is known as scale.

Plaque psoriasis most commonly affects the elbows, nails, trunk, scalp and knees. However, it can appear on any surface of the skin.

The scale becomes dislodged and is shed from the plaques. Affected areas are generally very dry and itchy, sometimes painful - there might be cracking of the skin.