·	Psoriasis affects an estimated 2-3 percent of the world's population.

·	125 million people worldwide have psoriasis, according to the World Psoriasis Day consortium.

·	According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), between 5.8 and 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis.

·	Studies have shown that between 10 percent and 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis.

·	2.2 percent of American adults have been diagnosed with psoriasis, confirming that psoriasis is a common disease.1

·	11 percent of those diagnosed with psoriasis have also been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. This is a prevalence of 0.25 percent of American adults in the general population.2

·	Psoriasis prevalence in African Americans was 1.3 percent compared to 2.5 percent of Caucasians.3

·	Psoriasis is not a cosmetic problem. Nearly 60 percent reported their disease to be a large problem in their everyday life.1

·	Nearly 40 percent with psoriatic arthritis reported their disease to be a large problem in everyday life.2

·	Patients with psoriasis covering more of their body (more extensive skin disease) experienced a greater negative impact on their quality of life.4

·	Psoriasis had a greater impact on quality of life in women and younger patients.4

·	Less than 40 percent of respondents indicated they were very satisfied with any of the four therapies assessed in the study (acitretin [brand name Soriatane], cyclosporine, methotrexate or PUVA [psoralen plus ultraviolet light A]).5

·	Nearly 80 percent of persons who were very dissatisfied with their treatment did not have severe disease (less than 10 palms of coverage or <10 percent BSA).1

·	Members of the National Psoriasis Foundation reported their disease to be significantly less of a burden and were more satisfied with treatment.6

·	Psoriasis often appears between the ages of 15 and 25, but can develop at any age.

·	Psoriatic arthritis usually develops between the ages of 30 and 50, but it can develop at any time.

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The National Psoriasis Foundation defines mild psoriasis as affecting less than three percent of the body; 3 percent to 10 percent is considered moderate; more than ten percent is considered severe. The palm of the hand equals 1 percent of the skin. However, the severity of psoriasis is also measured by how psoriasis affects a person's quality of life. Psoriasis can have a serious impact even if it involves a small area, such as the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.

·	The majority of people with psoriasis have mild disease.

·	Nearly one-quarter of people with psoriasis have cases that are considered moderate to severe.

·	Overall costs of treating psoriasis may exceed $3 billion annually. A 1993 study estimated that between $2 and $3 billion was spent annually on psoriasis treatments.7

·	About one out of three people with psoriasis report that a relative had psoriasis.

·	If one parent has psoriasis, a child has about a 10 percent chance of having psoriasis. If both parents have psoriasis, a child has approximately a 50 percent chance of developing the disease.