According to research conducted by experts fromUniversity of Denmarkwomen with psoriasis they are at greater risk of having an ectopic pregnancy which is greater for those with moderate to severe psoriasis.
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus. It occurs most often in a fallopian tube, which carries the egg from the ovary to the uterus. This type of ectopic pregnancy is called tubal pregnancy.
Sometimes, an ectopic pregnancy occurs in other areas of the body, such as the ovary, abdominal cavity, or the lower part of the uterus (cervix), which connects to the vagina. An ectopic pregnancy cannot proceed normally. The fertilized egg cannot survive, and the growing tissue can cause life-threatening bleeding if left untreated.
The results of the Research have been published in the scientific journal JAAD International.
Women with psoriasis and risk of ectopic pregnancy: this is what the research says
Cæcilie Bachdal Johansenresearcher of the Uthe University of Copenhagen in Denmark, together with his team of collaborators, carefully studied the association between women with psoriasis and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) in a case-control study based on a national registry involving data collected from 1973 to 2017. The cases were APO, including miscarriage, PE, intrauterine fetal death and stillbirth; controls were born alive singletons.
The scholars included 42,041 APOs and 449,233 controls (8.56 and 91.44%, respectively). The only APO that was statistically significantly associated with psoriasis was PE (odds ratio, 1.34). Women with moderate to severe psoriasis had the highest odds ratio for PE (odds ratio, 2.77). Compared to women without psoriasis, women with moderate to severe psoriasis run a 2.48% higher absolute risk for PE (3.98 versus 1.50%).
“As PE is the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the first trimester of pregnancy, our findings require special attention for women with psoriasis of reproductive age, ie to inform sexually active patients to seek emergency gynecological evaluation. in case of pain in the lower abdomen, unplanned absence of menstruation and concomitant light vaginal bleeding“Stated the authors of the research.
Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that can affect any part of the body. It is a highly visible condition with symptoms that include the appearance of red, thick, scaly patches on the arms, legs, trunk, soles of the feet, palms and nails, but most commonly on the elbows, knees and scalp.
For women with psoriasis, diagnosis and initiation of treatment may occur during the time of greatest fertility, which complicates management. Additionally, psoriasis activity is known to fluctuate with hormonal changes, including those that occur during pregnancy.
“We know that the main risk factor for psoriasis is the patient’s genetic makeup. However, female hormones can affect the severity of the disease“, he has declared Jenny MuraseProfessor Associate Clinic of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco and Director of Medical Consultative Dermatology at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Mountain View, California.
Estrogen, in particular, plays an important role in the severity of psoriasis in women. Research has shown that during pregnancy, many patients report an improvement in psoriasis symptoms. “When estrogen levels rise [durante] pregnancy, psoriasis tends to improve and when it decreases soon after the baby is born, it gets worse“Explained Dr. Murase.
A study in women with psoriasis showed that 55% of women with psoriasis during pregnancy experienced an improvement in their disease related to a high level of estrogen. However, only 9% of patients reported improvement during the postpartum period. Not only that, the research data found that the body surface area of psoriasis significantly decreased between 10 and 20 weeks of gestation and significantly increased within 6 weeks after delivery.
Additionally, there is evidence that estrogen receptors are a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily for steroid hormones. “The estrogen receptor is a nuclear receptor. Estrogen binds to these receptors as does vitamin D, corticosteroids, and other thyroid hormones, and these drugs have been used as treatments for psoriasis.“, Concluded Dr. Murase.
It is essential to underline the importance of your trusted doctor if women with psoriasis are aware of this research, because it is important to tell them about it in a way that answers any legitimate doubt and knows how to direct them to competent specialists.
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