Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder with systemic implications, often leading to comorbidities such as psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Delayed treatment can exacerbate disease progression and increase healthcare utilization.

Objectives: This retrospective cohort study aims to evaluate the impact of early treatment initiation on healthcare utilization among psoriasis patients and explore the association between psoriasis and the risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: The study utilized de-identified patient data from TriNetX spanning a 10-year period (2013-2023). Psoriasis patients were grouped by age and categorized based on the timing of treatment initiation (within 90, 91-180, 181-270, and 271-365 days post-diagnosis). Healthcare utilization was analyzed, including ambulatory, emergency, and inpatient visits. Additionally, the incidence of OA among psoriasis patients was compared to a control group without underlying illnesses.

Results: Delayed treatment initiation was associated with significantly increased healthcare utilization across all age groups. Patients who received treatment within 90 days post-diagnosis had lower healthcare utilization compared to those who delayed treatment. Furthermore, patients with psoriasis demonstrated a higher incidence of OA compared to the control group, indicating a potential shared inflammatory mechanism between the two conditions.

Conclusions: Early treatment of psoriasis reduces healthcare utilization and may help mitigate disease progression and associated comorbidities, including OA. Proactive management strategies are crucial in reducing the burden on healthcare systems and improving long-term patient outcomes. Further research into shared inflammatory pathways between psoriasis and OA is warranted to develop targeted therapies.