Life factors associated with PsA

Toronto - Environmental factors, injuries and occupations that involve heavy lifting are significantly associated with the development of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), HealthDay News reports.

Researchers from Toronto Western Hospital studied 159 patients with recent-onset PsA and 159 controls with psoriasis but without arthritis. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect data on environmental exposure to smoking, alcohol consumption, infections, injuries, physically demanding occupational tasks, stressful life events, vaccinations and female hormones. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, education level, and duration and severity of psoriasis, was used to evaluate the association between exposure to environmental events and the disease.

Investigators found that jobs involving heavy lifting (cumulative loads of at least 100 pounds an hour), infections requiring antibiotic treatment, smoking and injuries were significantly associated with PsA. An inverse association was found with smoking, the authors note.

Exposure to alcohol consumption, vaccinations, stressful life events and female hormones were not found to be associated with PsA.

The study was published in the August issue of Arthritis Care & Research.