Adults with psoriasis have an increased likelihood of having rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with adults without psoriasis, according to a study published online June 15 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Amylee Martin, from the School of Medicine at the University of California Riverside, and colleagues examined the association between RA and psoriasis using data from the 2009 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RA and psoriasis status was available for 16,066 participants aged 20 years and older.

The researchers found that about 8.1 percent of those with psoriasis and 4.0 percent of those without psoriasis reported a history of RA. In a multivariate analysis, compared with those without psoriasis, adults with psoriasis were more likely to have RA (adjusted odds ratio, 1.94; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.27 to 2.97; P = 0.003). Participants aged 20 to 49 years had a higher point estimate (odds ratio, 2.82; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.23 to 6.44) compared with those aged 50 years and older (odds ratio, 1.64; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.99 to 2.74) in age subgroup analyses.

"The detrimental consequences of both diseases, including physical disability, psychological distress, and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events may be higher for individuals with both diseases compared to either disease alone," the authors write. "Consequently, prompt and effective treatment of both diseases is critical for patients with concomitant psoriasis and RA."

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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