The prevalence of psoriasis among elderly individuals: more questions than answers

Knowledge of epidemiological data of psoriasis among elderly people is limited. Herein the prevalence of psoriasis among non-permanently hospitalized, elderly (70-89 year old) individuals was assessed by a face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire adapted from an earlier telephone survey elsewhere. 450 individuals 70-89 years old consented to contribute. Psoriasis was found in 15/450 individuals [life-long prevalence: 3.33%; (95% confidence intervals: 1.99-5.47%)]; 1/450 individuals have ever required systemic treatment (0.2% [0.01-1.4%]). This prevalence is about ten times higher than corresponding results of the aforementioned telephone survey with the same questionnaire. In conclusion this study: i) Provides the first estimation of psoriasis prevalence in Greece, albeit focused in a particular age group and demonstrates a relatively high life-long prevalence, however with minimal morbidity among older people; ii) Underscores the need for studies to evaluate the impact of proxy effects (e.g. telephone information) in assessing skin morbidity of older probands.