Distribution (Epidemiology)
Psoriasis is a fairly common disease affecting about 2-3% of the population worldwide. Psoriasis doesn’t have a certain geographical distribution; it affects all countries with different incidence rates. The prevalence of psoriasis is estimated to be 125 million patients all over the world. According to the United States census bureau, about 8 million patients with psoriasis are in the US. a cross-section statistical study conducted in the US revealed that white participants account for the most cases of psoriasis followed by Hispanic and African Americans. Asians record the lowest prevalence rate of psoriasis which is 0.5 % on average. Tracking the incidence trends for psoriasis among different countries is difficult due to insufficient and unavailable data.
Men, women, and kids are all equally at risk of developing psoriasis. Although it can manifest differently at any age, it often does at a young age between the ages of 10 and 30. The disease’s severity varies greatly from a little spot to massive patches occupying a wide area of the body, however, the mildest form of psoriasis which is easily controlled, accounts for 80% of cases.
Children may not necessarily inherit psoriasis to develop it because the disorder is multi-genetic, which means that different genes may each play a distinct role in contributing to certain disease traits. Moreover, the inherited genes don’t necessarily develop psoriasis by themselves, but it may increase its risk of occurrence if the patient is exposed to precipitating factors. Psoriasis can also run in families as statistical studies revealed that 3 out of 20 children may acquire psoriasis if one parent has it. If both parents have psoriasis, the offspring’s risk to develop psoriasis will be raised to 75%.
