a disease that could be disabling if it was not treated early

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Psoriatic arthritis is a little known pathology that most often affects patients with psoriasis on the skin and causes pain and / or inflammation of certain joints of the extremities, spine and pelvis.

For the doctor Anelisse Goecke, president of the Chilean Society of Rheumatology (Sochire) and head of the rheumatology section of the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile, the main risk of suffering from psoriatic arthritis is to have skin psoriasis.

affects approximately 10-30% of patients with cutaneous psoriasis and most often occurs between 30 and 50 years of age.

For the specialist, psoriatic arthritis is characterized by the fact that it causes pain and inflammation in certain joints. asymmetric, sometimes with inflammation of a finger in a diffuse form (called finger in a sausage) and / or tendon or sites where the tendons are attached to achilles heel pain or tendon (part posterior of the ankles).

If nothing is done, it can be disabling

Early diagnosis and early treatment to prevent sequelae: "if the disease is not under control, it can result in the destruction of the joint with the loss of function of the latter and, therefore, become disabling "

In addition," an individual with persistent inflammation will be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke, which can lead to disability and even shorten their years of life, "he said.

Regarding the treatment of this pathology, the specialist explained that "in addition to drugs that can help relieve pain (badgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)."

In some cases where the disease does not respond to these measures, they may require the use of drugs. biological entities. All biological products used in rheumatoid arthritis can not necessarily be used in psoriatic arthritis and vice versa. "

The Ministry of Health is currently studying the possibility of including certain treatments for psoriatic arthritis in the Ricarte Soto law, in the context of the fourth decree.

In the case of the use of biological drugs, their cost is high and their use is not mbadive, but this law could however make this type of medicine accessible, so that more patients "have the possibility of receiving the appropriate treatment for a disease which maintains them differently with pain, invalidity and can in the long term generate serious sequelae ", concludes the specialist.