International study on prevalence of itch: examining the role of itch as a major global public health problem.

BACKGROUND: Very few studies evaluated the global prevalence of pruritus. OBJECTIVE: To assess its prevalence according to age, gender, ethnicity, and geographic regions. METHODS: An international cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 countries from January to April 2023. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on sociodemographics, confirm the presence or absence of a skin disease in the last 12 months and the presence or absence of pruritus in the last 7 days. RESULTS: The studied sample included 50552 individuals. The worldwide prevalence of pruritus was 39.8%. The age group ≥65 had the highest prevalence (43.3%). The prevalence was 40.7% among women and 38.9% among men (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between ethnicities (p=0.14). Compared to North America (41.6%), the prevalence of pruritus was significantly lower in Europe (35.9%, p<0.001), Australia (38.4%, p=0.017), East Asia (40.2%, p=0.04), and Latin America (36.5%, p<0.001), and higher in Africa (45,7%, p=0.007). No significant difference was found with the Middle East (40.2%, p=0.36). The prevalence was 40.3% in developed countries and 38.7% in BRICS countries 40.7% (p<10-3). LIMITATIONS: No information about the severity or type (acute, chronic) of pruritus. CONCLUSION: Global prevalence of pruritus revealed age, gender, and geographic region differences, with no ethnic differences.

Sun exposure and protection habits: Self-reported attitudes, knowledge and behaviours.

BACKGROUND: As exposure to UV radiation is the primary modifiable environmental risk factor associated with skin cancer, it remains the principal focus of most prevention strategies. Numerous sun protection campaigns have been implemented worldwide; however, their impact on the actual incidence and mortality rates of skin cancer seems to be limited. To create successful skin cancer prevention campaigns, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of individuals' attitudes and behaviours regarding sun protection. The aim of the current study was to determine and report on the prevalence of self-reported attitudes, knowledge and behaviours regarding two of the major sun protection recommendations-avoidance of sun exposure and use of sunscreens-in an international representative sample across five continents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 countries using a web-based online survey. FINDINGS: A total of 50,552 individuals, comprising 25,388 men (50.22%) and 25,164 women (49.78%), participated in the survey. Among them, 83.2% reported having been voluntarily exposed to the sun (for sun-basking reasons) at least once in the last 12 months, and 47.96% acknowledged being exposed to the sun between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM. The primary reason for non-adherence was that these hours were the most convenient times (32.28%). Only 24.05% reported applying sunscreen every 2 h when outdoors. Forgetfulness was the primary reason as provided by 27.79% of participants. Males and older age groups were less likely to adopt sun-protective behaviours around the world. Forgetfulness and the challenges posed by time constraints seem to be the biggest barriers to proper adherence. INTERPRETATION: These findings should prompt the collaboration with health authorities and the manufacturers to enhance adherence by setting reasonable sunscreen prices and creating formulations that make their application less burdensome.

Improvements in Plaque Psoriasis Associated with Calcipotriol/Betamethasone Aerosol Foam Treatment: A Post Hoc Analysis of Non-interventional Studies and Clinical Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Plaque psoriasis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease that is associated with extensive disease burden that often requires long-term therapy. Treatment of psoriasis with 4 weeks of the aerosol foam formulation of calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD; Enstilar®, LEO Pharma) has been demonstrated to be effective, well tolerated, and associated with high patient satisfaction. Cal/BD foam is approved as a first-line treatment in multiple countries, where several non-interventional studies (NIS) have corroborated the beneficial efficacy and safety profiles determined in the randomized clinical trials. Heterogenicity in these NIS, however, prevents the use of a data pooling strategy for comparisons of effectiveness outcomes across different patient populations. METHODS: Therefore, here, we report on a post hoc analysis of effectiveness data consolidated from six prospective NIS to discern any differences in improvement in signs and symptoms of psoriasis attributable to Cal/BD foam treatment across the countries. In addition, we provide real-world experience of clinicians with Cal/BD foam treatment, factoring in changes in usage since these NIS were performed in their local markets. RESULTS: This post hoc analysis of Cal/BD foam NIS brings together data outside of randomized clinical trials from six countries to provide real-world evidence in 1388 patients showing that 4 weeks of Cal/BD foam is an effective and safe treatment option with quick onset of action for patients with psoriasis. CONCLUSION: These results show that regardless of NIS location, Cal/BD foam remains a well-tolerated, efficacious option for patient care that could be used as a first-line topical therapy for mild-to-severe psoriasis.

Calcipotriol and Betamethasone Dipropionate Cream Based on PAD Technology for the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis: A Narrative Review.

Topical treatment plays a crucial role in psoriasis management, with non-adherence being a major barrier to treatment success. The fixed-dose combination of calcipotriol (CAL) and betamethasone dipropionate (BDP) represents the first-line choice in topical psoriasis treatment. A CAL/BDP cream based on polyaphron dispersion (PAD) Technology has emerged as a novel formulation for a more convenient topical treatment of psoriasis. This article aims to summarize the most relevant published evidence about CAL/BDP PAD-cream and its underlying PAD Technology. The PAD Technology enables CAL and BDP stability in an aqueous cream through a multimolecular shell structure, as well as it increases the penetration of both active ingredients into the epidermis and dermis. This technology also demonstrated to increase the cosmetic acceptability and to provide the desirable sensory properties for a topical psoriasis treatment. Two phase III clinical trials have been conducted so far with CAL/BDP PAD-cream. Findings from both trials revealed high efficacy with a fast onset of action, a favourable safety and tolerability profile and convenience for CAL/BDP PAD-cream compared to CAL/BDP gel. In the trial including patients with psoriasis affecting the scalp (MC2-01-C7), results support the use of CAL/BDP PAD-cream in scalp psoriasis. An anchored matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) was conducted to compare CAL/BDP PAD-cream and CAL/BDP foam, as both products had been previously compared to CAL/BDP gel. CAL/BDP PAD-cream and CAL/BDP foam showed equivalent efficacy and quality of life at their recommended treatment duration, whereas greater treatment satisfaction for CAL/BDP PAD-cream was found after one week of treatment. Overall, the high patient acceptability and treatment satisfaction observed with CAL/BDP PAD-cream in clinical trials may lead to improved adherence and hence higher efficacy in clinical practice.

Prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness among patients with atopic dermatitis.

Sleep disorders have received considerable attention from the dermatologic community, especially in patients with atopic dermatitis. We confirmed that excessive daytime sleepiness is a common problem among patients with atopic dermatitis, with it affecting 46.1% of the evaluated subjects. We demonstrated that excessive daytime sleepiness was also significantly associated with disease severity in patients with atopic dermatitis and had a detrimental impact on quality of life, well-being and burden. These findings suggest the importance of careful assessment and the management of sleep disorders in atopic dermatitis patients. Intervention programs for sleep disorders in this population might help to improve their quality of life and their well-being.

Psoriasis and sexuality: Patients express their feelings.

Background: In France, psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. For several years now, particular attention has been given to the quality of life (Qol) of psoriasis patients. Sexual dysfunction (SD) defined as not wanting or enjoying sexual experience is an important component of Qol. Psoriasis through its physical symptoms and psychological consequences can thus be responsible for SD. Method: The survey participants were recruited through the national psoriasis dermatitis patient association. Result: 41% (577) patients reported having SD related to their psoriasis. Women reported significantly more SD than men (387 [44.7%] vs. 190 [35%], p < 0.001). For 396 (28.1%) patients SD due to their psoriasis manifested as a reduction in the frequency of sexual activity, for 207 (14.7%) as change in their sexual practice, and for 284 (27.4%) as an absence of sexual activity without significant difference between women and men. The main consequence of sexual difficulties for patients was loss of self-confidence in 627 (44.5%) cases, guilt in 209 (14.8%) cases, couple life impairment in 214 (15.2%) cases, isolation in 260 (18.5%) cases and frustration. Discussion: In this study investigating SD related to psoriasis, we found that the disease impact sexual relations of 41% of patients of both gender. The main causes of SD were both physical alone and psychological alone, in the same proportions. The physical symptoms of psoriasis are therefore not the only ones responsible for the sexual discomfort reported from patients in their sexual relations. This may be due to a discomfort of the patient or the physician when talking about sexuality because they can't find the terms to talk about this subject often considered taboo and the age or gender difference. This aspect of the disease should be considered by physicians who care for patients with psoriasis, especially dermatologists. Finally, other strategies should be implemented, such as patient talk groups, referral guides or personalised therapeutic education.

Impact of Atopic Dermatitis on Patients and their Partners.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing and inflammatory skin disease. The impact of atopic dermatitis on the partners living with patients has been poorly investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of atopic dermatitis in the daily lives of adult patients and to assess the burden of the disease on their partners. A population-based study was conducted on a representative sample of the general population of French adults aged 18 years of age using stratified, proportional sampling with a replacement design. Data were collected on 1,266 atopic dermatitis patient-partner dyads (mean age of patients 41.6 years, 723 (57.1%) women). The mean age of partners was 41.8 years. Patient burden, measured by the Atopic Dermatitis Burden Scale for Adults (ABS-A) score, was closely related to the objective atopic dermatitis severity: the mean score in the mild group (29.5) was significantly lower than in the moderate (43.9) and severe groups (48.6) (p < 0.0001). Partner burden, measured by the EczemaPartner score, was highly related to atopic dermatitis severity (p < 0.0001). Daytime sleepiness, measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, showed a mean score of 9.24 in patients and 9.01 in their partners, indicating impaired sleep. Atopic dermatitis was found to decrease sexual desire in 39% and 26% of partners and patients respectively.

The Needs of Patients with Psoriasis and Benefits of Apremilast in French Clinical Practice: Results from the Observational REALIZE Study.

INTRODUCTION: Real-world data on the needs of patients with psoriasis and patient-perceived benefits of apremilast are limited. We report such data from France. METHODS: The multicenter, observational REALIZE study was conducted in real-life clinical practice in France and enrolled patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who had initiated apremilast per French reimbursement criteria in the 4 weeks preceding enrollment (September 2018-June 2020). Physician assessments and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were collected at enrollment, 6 months, and 12 months. PROs included the Patient Benefit Index for skin diseases (PBI-S), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and 9-item Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM-9). The primary outcome was PBI-S ≥ 1 (minimum clinically relevant benefit) at month 6. RESULTS: Of 379 enrolled patients who received ≥ 1 dose of apremilast, most [n = 270 (71.2%)] remained on apremilast at 6 months and over half [n = 200 (52.8%)] persisted at 12 months. Patients reported the following treatment goals as most important (≥ 70% reported goal as "very important" in the Patient Needs Questionnaire): get better skin quickly, regain disease control, be healed of skin alterations, and have confidence in the therapy. Most patients persisting on apremilast achieved a PBI-S ≥ 1 at months 6 and 12 (91.6% and 93.8%, respectively). Mean (SD) DLQI decreased from 11.75 (6.69) at enrollment to 5.17 (5.35) and 4.18 (4.39) at months 6 and 12, respectively. Most patients (72.3%) reported moderate-to-severe pruritus at enrollment and no/mild pruritus at months 6 and 12 (78.8% and 85.9%, respectively). Mean (SD) TSQM-9 Global Satisfaction scores were 68.4 (23.3) and 71.7 (21.5) at months 6 and 12, respectively. Apremilast was well tolerated; no new safety signals were identified. CONCLUSIONS: REALIZE provides insights regarding the needs of patients with psoriasis and the patient-perceived benefits of apremilast. Patients who persisted on apremilast reported improvements in quality of life, high treatment satisfaction, and clinically relevant benefits. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03757013.

Psoriasis is a chronic disease and can have a large impact on patients' quality of life. Patients often discontinue psoriasis treatments for a number of reasons, including side effects, ineffectiveness, and inconvenience. Apremilast (Otezla) is a twice-daily oral tablet for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Data on the needs of patients with psoriasis and the patient-perceived benefits of psoriasis treatments, including apremilast, are limited. The REALIZE (Real Life Data for OTEZLA Evidence) study collected data from 379 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis receiving apremilast for up to 12 months in clinical practice across France. Patients completed questionnaires regarding their treatment goals, how well apremilast treatment met these goals, their quality of life, and their satisfaction with apremilast treatment. At the beginning of the study, patients reported getting better skin quickly, regaining control of their psoriasis, being healed of psoriatic lesions on their skin, and having confidence in their psoriasis treatment as their most important treatment goals. Over half of the patients continued apremilast for 12 months, with most reporting that apremilast successfully met their treatment needs. Patients also reported high satisfaction with apremilast and improved quality of life. The adverse events reported in the REALIZE study were similar to the known safety profile of apremilast. Our data show that apremilast is an effective, convenient, and well-tolerated treatment that improves the symptoms of psoriasis and meets patients' needs and expectations.