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‘Smartphone Slouching’ More Serious Than It Sounds

The health risks that spring from poor posture while using mobile devices don’t concern many Americans,...
Kids + Gadgets = Less Sleep and More Risk for Unwanted Weight

If you’re an adult managing sleep problems, you likely know that part of creating an environment...
Mummy’s Curse: Heart Disease Is an Ancient Scourge

Scientists are taking the wrappings off an age-old malady. Clogged arteries are a heart problem that’s...

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Are You Living with Psoriasis?

A growing knowledge of the skin disease called psoriasis is leading to greater treatment choices, including personalized therapies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports.

Psoriasis is an immune system disorder that causes overproduction of skin cells, resulting in scaling, pain, swelling, redness and heat. The condition affects about 7.5 million Americans.

“As we better understand the disease, researchers know more about what specific factors to target in order to develop effective treatments,” FDA dermatologist Dr. Melinda McCord said in an agency news release.

There is no cure for psoriasis, so the main goals of treatments are to stop skin cell overproduction and reduce inflammation. Current therapies include medicines applied to the skin (topical), light treatment (phototherapy), or drugs taken by mouth or given by injection.

Doctors used to take a step-by-step approach, starting patients with mild to moderate psoriasis on topical therapy. If that was ineffective, doctors moved on to phototherapy or drug treatment.