From Skin 'n' Bones Connection - ISSN: 1475-4134

Psoriasis is more than a matter of skin symptoms. Even if you’re familiar with its usual flare-ups, it’s important to recognise how psoriasis can impact overall health and bring other challenges that often go unseen... Read more. Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. Beyond the skin. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;62:3.

Diagnosis and treatment: An ophthalmologist will check for uveitis using a special microscope called a slit lamp and may suggest eye scans or blood tests to look for possible underlying causes... Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. Eye involvement. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;62:4-5.

Diet is increasingly recognised as an important factor that may influence disease activity and patient quality of life. Recent studies show that specific dietary patterns can impact inflammation pathways central to psoriatic arthritis (PsA)… Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. Diet studies. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;65:7.

Living with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis can present unique challenges in the workplace, from managing symptoms and flare-ups to facing stigma or discrimination… Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. Navigating work. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;62:8-9.

Diagnostic imaging revealed: Your questions answered by a radiographer. If your doctor has recommended imaging, the reason may be clear, like getting an X-ray for a suspected broken wrist. But sometimes the need for a scan isn’t obvious, such as when you’re referred for a chest X-ray before starting steroid medication.​.. Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
Chandler HE.Diagnostic imaging. Skin 'n' Bones Connection.2025;62:10-12.

When planning a family, it’s natural to wonder how psoriatic disease might affect pregnancy and your future children… Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. Fertility and pregnancy. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;62:14-15.

If you live with psoriatic disease, you may already know that sleep disturbances are a common and frustrating part of the experience... Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA, Sleep disruption. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;62:16.

Did you know that men and women use different biological systems to manage pain?... Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA, The pain debate. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;61:6.

Ultra-processed foods are associated with a higher risk of developing psoriasis because of the way they impact the body’s inflammatory and immune systems... Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. Ultra-processed food. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;61:8-9.

Recent research has shed light on a possible connection between psoriasis and endometriosis... Read more.
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. Psoriasis and endrometriosis. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2025;61:16.

Scientists may have uncovered the root cause of psoriasis, a chronic and sometimes debilitating skin disease that affects 2-3% of the global population. The condition is characterised by red, scaly patches that impact the quality of a patient's life and can sometimes be life-threatening...Read more
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. A cure for psoriasis?. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2024;60:14-15.

Recently, scientists have begun exploring GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), which could offer new benefits for those living with psoriatic disease... Read more
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. Psoriatic disease and GLP-1. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2024;60:3.

Recent research has highlighted the crucial connection between genetics and the immune system in the context of psoriasis and psoriatic disease... Read more
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. It's in your genes. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2024;60:4-5.

With renewed calls to limit both smoking and vaping in public spaces for health reasons, it is interesting to look further than the direct implications of inhaling smoke or vapour that contains nicotine... Read more
Download PDF

 Citation:
PAPAA. Nicotine. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2024;60:8-9.

Scientists may have uncovered the root cause of psoriasis, a chronic and sometimes debilitating skin disease that affects 2-3% of the global population. The condition is characterised by red, scaly patches that impact the quality of a patient's life and can sometimes be life-threatening...Read more
Download PDF

Citation:
PAPAA. A cure for psoriasis? Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2024;60:14-15.

Young adults who find it harder to cope with stress are more likely to develop psoriasis later in life. Low stress-resilience when enlisting for military service involves a 31% higher risk of developing psoriasis compared to high stress-resilience...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Stress and psoriasis. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2024;59:14-15

A new study finds that a certain biological pathway, a set of linked reactions in the body, drives the inflammation seen in psoriasis...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Skin inflammation. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2024;59:7

In the UK, 10-20% of the population report being tired for a month or longer, with 1.5% feeling a need to see their GP. The symptoms often include difficulty sleeping; muscle or joint pain; headaches; painful lymph nodes; sore throat; cognitive dysfunction; symptoms made worse by physical or mental exertion; flu-like symptoms; dizziness; nausea; or palpitations...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Feeling fatigued. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2024;59:10-11.

Studies examining fertility and pregnancy outcomes in women with psoriasis have reported conflicting findings, mainly due to limitations of study design. Most studies had small sample sizes (less than 100 women) and were therefore too small to detect significant differences...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Fertility and pregnancy. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023;58:2-3.

The transition from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis and the early diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis are of considerable scientific and clinical interest. People typically have psoriatic skin disease for a decade or more before they begin to experience the joint involvement of psoriatic arthritis...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. From skin to joint. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023;58:4-5.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced it is taking forward its new ‘regulatory sandbox’, the AI-Airlock, which will provide a regulator-monitored virtual area for developers to generate robust evidence for their advanced technologies...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Artificial intelligence. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023;58:6-7.

What’s your gut got to do with it? you may ask, regarding your psoriasis. Apparently, quite a lot, according to new published data in Science Translational Medicine by the Inflammatory Arthritis Microbiota Consortium, based at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA.  Are you what you eat? Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023;58:8-9.

Methotrexate is an immunosuppressant medicine that is used to treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and, of course, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. It is also used as a cancer treatment...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Methotrexate and photosensitivity. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023;58:16.

When a child becomes ill, with any condition, it can be distressing not only for the child, but for the parents, siblings, relatives and friend., It is, after all, natural for a parent to be concerned and even worried abut the health of their children. Even when their child is an adult, that concern and worry continues, particularly when they have a chronic condition...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Psoriasis in Children. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023; 57: 3.

In modern society, the need for home, work and leisure environments to be accessible and inclusive are imperative to a functioning lifestyle. The inclusion of wheelchair accessible entrances, sensory assistance and products to help make life easier for those with a physical or psychological disability are common within healthcare...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
Chandler AL. The rise and adoption of assistive technology. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023;57:4-5.

Did you know that uveitis, a condition that affects the eyes, is more common in people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis? Uveitis often happens in people who have an autoimmune condition. This is where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Uveitis. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023;57:8.

Nowadays, it seems that almost every TV celebrity and sports star parades some form of body art, especially tattoos. Among professional footballers, having at least one arm fully tattooed seems to be de rigueur. Historically, there was a strong element of class stigma associated with tattoos and some still think having a tattoo is confirmation of working-class status...Read more
Download PDF

Citation
PAPAA. Tattoos and you. Skin 'n' Bones Connection. 2023;57:10-13.

Although psoriatic arthritis (PsA) affects men and women in equal numbers, females with PsA tend to have a worse overall outlook than males....Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA.  PSA gender differences. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection. 2022;56:4-6

Generalised pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare, heterogenous (of different origin) and potentially life-threatening neutrophilic (high white blood cell count) skin disease, which is clinically distinct from plaque psoriasis.....Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Generalised pustular psoriasis. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection. 2022;56:7

When it comes to looking after our health, statistics reveal that many of us are ignoring the warning signs, don’t know what to look out for, or aren’t checking for them in the first place. For example, a YouGov survey found that in 2021 at least one in five women had not checked themselves for signs of breast cancer in the past year...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA. The rise of health ignorance. Skin 'n' Bones Connection; 2022: 56. 8- 9

The world has become increasingly digital, and social media platforms such as Instagram can blur the line between reality and fake. Recently, there has been a public suggestion to regulate influencers and content creators who use software such as Photoshop or alternative editing programmes to distort images on social media. This suggestion stems from unrealistic yet convincing images of bodies and faces causing a rise in self-esteem and mental health issues surrounding body image...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Chandler AL. Media stigma and the arts. Skin 'n' Bones Connection; 2022: 56. 10-11

New data show treatment goals are important, but patients’ and professionals’ perceptions may not be aligned. Results presented at the 2022 EULAR Congress in Copenhagen show that early achievement of minimal disease activity (MDA) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is associated with long-term improvements in quality of life...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Psoriatic arthritis treatment. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2022; 55. 3

‘The Descent of Man’ “that there was no country in the world that did not practise tattooing or some other form of permanent body decoration.” One hundred and fifty years later, in a 2021 UK survey, it was found that 35% of United Kingdom citizens aged 30-39 have tattoos, an increase on the results of a 2015 survey that reported that a fifth of all British adults were inked...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA. To ink or not to ink. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2022; 55. 6

The 2022 Life Search Health, Wealth and Happiness Index shows UK citizens’ overall wellbeing score is at a 10-year low. When studied in isolation, the nation’s ‘health’ is almost back up to pre-pandemic levels, but rising cost of living has been most detrimental to peoples’ mental health in the last two years, ahead of COVID restrictions and the conflict in Ukraine....Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA. Health, wealth and happiness. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2022; 55. 7-8

Can a museum visit improve your mental health? The arts and culture sector has recently begun to gain backing from medical professionals as a method of improving a patient’s mental health and wellbeing, tackling issues such as anxiety and depression. For many, visiting a museum, gallery or another cultural institution may be an unusual activity, but it is because such an activity is isolated and distanced from our everyday routine that it has the potential to remove one from the environment that causes so much stress and anxiety, into a space that is free from negativity and the anxiety triggers of everyday life...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Chandler AL. Mindfulness and museums. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2022; 55. 10-11

The British Psoriatic Arthritis Consortium (BritPACT) worked with the James Lind Alliance  (JLA) to run a priority setting partnership (PSP). They have created a national top 10 list of  research priorities for psoriatic arthritis, agreed upon by people with psoriatic arthritis, carers  and clinicians...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Priority setting partnership. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 54. 3

When a child becomes ill, with any condition, it can be distressing not only for the child but for the parents, siblings, relatives and friends. It is natural for a parent to be concerned and even when their child is an adult, that concern continues, particularly when they have a chronic condition…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  The psoriatic child. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 54. 4-5

PAPAA has been involved in the appraisals of new therapies with both the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). As a stakeholder organisation, PAPAA is invited, along with other professional and patient representative groups, to provide the patient perspective. We feel that it is very important that we do this, to provide the lived experience of those affected by psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Providing the patient voice. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 54. 6-7

More than half of those with skin conditions feel judged by others because of it, according to a new British Skin Foundation (BSF) survey. On top of that, a significant number of people with skin conditions say that it affects their mental health, everyday life and often leaves them feeling embarrassed…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Skin appearance survey. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 54. 8

The development of a range of biologic treatments over the last decade has revolutionised the management of moderate-severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). There are various drugs in this category – e.g., sekukinumab, infliximab etc – but they all work by blocking immune system signals involved in the inflammatory process that result in damage to skin and joint tissue…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Biologics and the risk of infection. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 54. 9

This is the second part of a two-part history of psoriasis. In part one, published in Issue 53, I discussed the evolution in our understanding of the disease, based on the descriptive appearance of psoriatic skin lesions and how these were eventually recognised as representing a disease in its own right…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA.  History of psoriasis. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 54. 10-13

When you take a medicine or treatment to alleviate symptoms you have, or when you are given medication to prevent a future event, you are at the end of process which has often taken many years to achieve. 

From discovery, basic research, testing and, eventually, approval to use a treatment, are processes that all have various protocols, rules and legislation to make sure that the product works and is safe…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Health technology assessments. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 54. 14-15

Funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), together with 25 European partners from research, pharmaceutical companies, SMEs and patient organisations, is researching a poorly understood disease that affects millions of people…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Innovative research. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 54. 18-19

The causes and triggers of psoriasis have long been studied and new discoveries continue to emerge. While no cure exists, the treatments that block inflammation are still not the complete answer. To improve treatment options, scientists need to better understand the dysregulation (not working correctly) of the immune system that leads to psoriasis lesions...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Immune cells. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 53. 6-7

Why are psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis appointments being done virtually? Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are being offered a non face-to-face (F2F) appointment or consultation. This may be via a standard telephone call and/ or in an enhanced video setting, via such systems as Zoom or MS Teams…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Virtual appointments. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 53. 8-9

Psoriasis has probably been around for as long as modern man and has also been reported in nonhuman primates. Skin diseases were well known to the physicians (known as ašipu) of Ancient Mesopotamia more than 3,000 years ago. There is also a description of a skin condition called khusta in the religious Ayurvedic tradition in India, though this may have been leprosy rather than psoriasis. Astonishingly, it was not until the 19th century that psoriasis - as a disease in its own right – was finally recognised...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA.  A brief history of psoriasis. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 53. 10-12

There is a well described association between psoriasis and several other diseases, including obesity, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular diseases. More recently, psoriasis has also been linked to several endocrine diseases and this article will discuss the most important of these...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA.  Edocrine diseases. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 53. 13-15

Anyone struggling with a chronic disease wants to know when there is going to be a cure and people living with psoriasis are no exception. Unfortunately, psoriasis is an extremely complex disease and so a cure is still some way off. In the meantime, there is an extraordinary amount of exciting research work going on around the world. Here is a quick digest of some of the most interesting areas currently being investigated – not all of them high-tech!...Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA.  New horizons in treatment. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2021; 53. 16-18

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is becoming increasingly part of our lives. It may feel like something new, but it has been in development since 1955, when John McCarthy, an American computer scientist pioneer and inventor often given the title father of artificial intelligence, played a seminal role in the field and development of intelligent machines. the first artificial intelligence conference was the 1956 Dartmouth Conference held at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, in America. At the time, McCarthy said it could take "five to 500 years" to make a breakthrough. McCarthy’s Lisp computer language, created in 1958, became the standard AI programming language and is still used in many applications, such as credit card security, smart phones and voice recognition... Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  Artificial intelligence. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020; 52. 4-5

In a recent study funded by the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance, research pharmacist Dr rod tucker examined whether the new breed of clinical pharmacists working within general practices could be used to help identify patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).... Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA. Psoriatic arthritis screening. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020; 52. 8-9

Psoriasis is a chronic disease which has clear geographic variations, with prevalence rates higher in those countries more distant from the equator. this suggests that climatic factors such as sun exposure and humidity may be relevant, though these and similar factors have not been much studied in specific populations…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA. Factors in psoriasis. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020; 52. 10-11

The European League Against rheumatism (EULAR) has called upon the European Union to work with member states to create a comprehensive strategy to tackle rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). the CovID-19 pandemic has compounded the risks facing this vulnerable group and, with Europe facing the growing challenges of an ageing population and workforce, it is vital that the EU addresses the hidden costs of workplace exclusion for people suffering one of the more than two hundred diseases under the RMD umbrella…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA. Arthritis and work. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020; 52. 14

Did you know that more than half of your body is not human? the human cells make up less than half of the body’s total cell count, while the rest are microbes. there are an estimated 39 trillion bacteria to about 30 trillion human cells.  A collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes, that naturally live on our bodies and inside us, is called a microbiome.  the gut microbiome alone can weigh up to 2kg.…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA. Psoriasis and the microbiome. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020; 52. 17

Does having psoriasis increase the risk for migraine?  Anecdotal reports from people with psoriasis suggest that it may, but given that migraine affects six million people in the UK, it may not be more common among those with psoriasis than the general population. In recent years, several large studies have addressed the possible association between psoriasis and migraine and the strength of any such association.... Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA.  Psoriasis and migraine. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020: 51. 4-5

Depression is a common problem among those with psoriasis.  In fact, of all conditions that co-occur with psoriasis, depression is the most common, affecting up to 80% of people with the condition. Depression not only makes life miserable for those it affects, it increases the risk of developing psoriatic arthritis and worsens treatment outcomes and prognosis…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA.  Psoriasis and depression. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020: 51. 6-7

One of the significant symptoms of COVID-19 is a persistent cough and, in severe cases, shortness of breath. While this is not the place to discuss the specific features or details of coronavirus infection, it’s a useful moment to review the various lung conditions associated with psoriasis and whether any of the current systemic drug treatments may themselves be associated with respiratory symptoms such as cough and breathlessness…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Ashton DA.  Lung disease and psoriasis. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020: 51. 10-12

Although the underlying cause of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis stems from your body's immune system, the trigger factors that can make psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis worse, or cause flare-ups, include:

Cold and dry weather: Such weather can dry out your skin, which makes the chances of having a flareup worse. In contrast, hot, sunny weather appears to help control the symptoms of psoriasis in most people…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

PAPAA.  The puzzle of flares. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2020: 51. 13

Exercising in warm water has long been used as a way of gently moving painful joints, rehabilitating after injury or flares of arthritis and helping to keep fit. recent NICE guidance has advised that health professionals should consider offering hydrotherapy (also more recently known as aquatic physiotherapy, AqPt) as an adjunct to other dry-land forms of exercise. exercising in a warm pool can be a helpful way for people to get moving and keep fit with less pain.…Read more

Download PDF

Citation

Mcrum C, Carter A.  Aquatic physiotherapy. Skin ‘n’ Bones Connection; 2019: 49. 10-11