ST. JOHN'S , Newfoundland, June 16 (UPI) -- Many of the 1 million Canadians with psoriasis are faced with physical or emotional challenges living with the skin condition, a survey indicates.
The survey of Canadians by Leger Marketing reports 66 percent of the respondents agreed with the statement that psoriasis ranks among the top two illnesses in terms of its impact on quality of life out of 10 of the worst diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.
Almost 60 percent indicated their disease was a substantial problem. Previous studies found patients with psoriasis reported a reduction in physical and mental functioning comparable to that seen in cancer, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and depression.
"Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent skin disorder that can appear at any age," Dr. Wayne Gulliver, a leader in dermatology in Newfoundland and Labrador, said in a statement.
"What many people don't realize is that its effects are devastating and can have an enormous physical and emotional impact on patients' lives."
The survey of 500 adult Canadians has a margin of error of plus/minus 4 percentage points.
