Infectious Disease

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New Hepatitis Meds Are Saving Lives: Study

New (and pricey) hepatitis C medicines, such as Harvoni and Sovaldi, are living up to their...
How to Decide When You’re Too Sick to Work

Even if you think you can go to work when you have a cold or flu,...
As U.S. Measles Outbreaks Spread, Why Does ‘Anti-Vax’ Movement Persist?

Measles outbreaks across the United States — including one in Washington state where 50 cases have...

More Infectious Disease News

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Snuggling Your Pet Hedghog May Spread Salmonella, CDC Warns
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- Posted January 28, 2019
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Liver Transplants Tied to Alcohol Use Doubled Since 2002
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- Posted January 23, 2019
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Health Tip: Prevent Skin Problems at the Gym
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- Posted January 23, 2019
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HPV Vaccine Even Helps Women Who Didn’t Get It: Study
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- Posted January 22, 2019
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How to Fight Norovirus, the ‘Cruise Ship’ Germ
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- Posted January 22, 2019
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Many Parents Wrong About What Prevents Colds in Kids
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- Posted January 21, 2019
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Health Tip: Prevent Rotavirus
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- Posted January 18, 2019
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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.