Psoriatic ArthritisPsoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune condition characterized by inflamed joints. Psoriatic arthritis often, but not always, occurs in people who also have... (PsA) affects more than 500,000 people in the United States. While there are treatments that can help, they do not work well for everyone. In fact, while treatments have improved, only about 1 in 3 people respond well to therapy.
With support from the Rheumatology Research Foundation’s Scientist Development Award, Dr. Paras Karmacharya and his team followed people with PsA over time to understand why. Their work has led to new epidemiological findings with major implications for how PsA is understood and treated.
Their research suggests that PsA may not be the same disease for every person. Instead, there may be different types of PsA based on how severe a person’s skin and joint symptoms are. For example, some people have bad skin symptoms but mild joint problems, while others have it the other way around, or struggle with both. Understanding these patterns could help doctors choose treatments that are a better fit for each patient. Understanding these patterns could help doctors choose treatments that are a better fit for each patient.
What this could mean for people living with PsA:
💙 More personalized care: Doctors may be able to choose treatments to a person’s specific subgroup of PsA, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
💙 Better planning: Knowing which subgroup someone falls into may help doctors anticipate how their disease is likely to progress over time.
💙 Better outcomes: Recognizing these distinct patterns opens the door to more targeted, effective treatment — potentially reducing trial-and-error prescribing and improving day-to-day life for patients.
Research like this brings us closer to truly personalized care for people living with PsA.