Senator Jack M. Martins met with representatives from the National Psoriasis Foundation to discuss World Psoriasis Day, which takes place on October 29. There are 7.5 million Americans affected by psoriasis. The National Psoriasis Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness about psoriasis and assisting those who are living with the disease.
Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious.
There are five types of psoriasis. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells. Psoriasis can occur on any part of the body and is associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.
Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease. Nearly one in four people with psoriasis may have undiagnosed psoriatic arthritis, a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the joints and tendons.
To learn more about psoriasis, visit the National Psoriasis Foundation website at www.psoriasis.org [3].
