Will Having Psoriasis Shorten My Life Span?
I know this is hard to talk about. I have had PsO since 1963. I'm now 65, so I am going to say no; my life has not been shortened. I feel great, eat right, exercise, and take my medication.
My illness is type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, obesity, and high blood pressure. I'm no longer obese or take diabetes medications and I have my issues under control.
What are your thoughts on this?
, this is a good question and you're right - it can be hard to talk and think about.
My understanding is that the psoriasis itself doesn't reduce our life expectancy directly, but having psoriasis means we are at a greater risk of developing certain comorbidities, which can affect life expectancy. Jaime touches on this in her World Psoriasis Day article from 2018 (very timely as World Psoriasis Day is coming up later this month!): https://plaquepsoriasis.com/living/world-psoriasis-day-awareness-serious-condition I've read that treating and managing our psoriasis may potentially reduce the risk of these comorbidities, so that's one positive.
I have been thinking about this lately too - my CRP is elevated and my cholesterol is slightly too. I'm curious to hear others' thoughts on this. Thanks for starting this discussion, Diane! Warmly, -Catherine, Community ModeratorIt's so refreshing and encouraging to hear that you have been able to live a good and healthy life despite having PsO along with other health conditions. Although I know it doesn't necessarily affect one's life expectancy, there are so many people who have it and struggle with it daily. So hearing someone's success story is always good to hear because it gives those hope that things can get better and your experience is definitely encouraging! Thanks so much for sharing! Best, Latoya (Team Member) Hello
, I got psoriasis in 1963. It doesn't matter if you got it 1 year ago or 50 years ago. It's still a hassle. Let t us know how you were doing. Are you on any type of medication for your psoriasis? We would like to hear from you. Diane (Team Member) this has already been answered by but I will also answer it. I have had psoriasis for 20 years now. You can live many years with it. Are you doing any kind of treatment for it? If you're not that could cause a problem in your health if the psoriasis is too far widespread. Vickie W., Team Member
Hello
, It has not been an easy journey, but I manage to take things one day at a time. My father is almost 90 and his favorite words are - I will live as long as I can and die when I can't help it. It's not easy, but we can do it. Thanks for the encouraging words. I’m almost 59 and I’ve had flares since I was 16. Certain times of the year make it worse. I also have several things at once, which I believe are all related: eczema, asthma, high blood pressure, anxiety/depression, arthritis. Women in my family typically reach mid-nineties. At the moment I am struggling the most with my latest diagnosis - mal de disembarkation. 6 months and counting. Similar to vertigo, and despite many attempts to treat it - it’s not stopped.
, thank you for sharing here, as always. That's a lot for one person to cope with. I often think it's unfair that we can have more than one of these chronic medical issues/conditions! That's a great idea to look back at the lifespans of our previous generations. My grandad had psoriasis and he lived until he was 80, which I believe is the average life expectancy over here in the UK.
So sorry to hear about this mal de disembarkment - I had never heard of this before. It sounds truly awful, and six months is a long time to be dealing with this. Do you have any idea what triggered it? Warmly, -Catherine, Community ModeratorHello
, thanks for sharing. We definitely have a disease that keeps on giving. I have had PsO for 61 years and it's always giving me something. I have never heard of mal de disembarkation. You have to tell us more about this. Is this an auto-immune illness? We would like to hear more from you. Diane (Team Member)
