A working group of dermatologists in Asian countries assessed the current status of psoriatic management in the region to prepare a consensus report on topical treatment in mild to moderate plaque psoriasis. Even though the association of psoriasis with systemic comorbidities is increasingly acknowledged, psoriasis is still lower in health-care priority lists in the region. The psychosocial impact of psoriasis may be greater in Asian countries due to cultural norms and social discrimination. Non-adherence to treatment is also common among Asians. The current care given to patients with mild to moderate psoriasis needs to be streamlined, enhanced and organized with a patient-centered care approach to achieve better outcomes. A comprehensive assessment of the disease severity and its impact on a patient's life is required before initiating treatment. Education and active involvement of the patient in the treatment plan is an important part of psoriatic management. It is recommended to personalize topical treatment to meet the needs of the patient, depending on disease severity, psychosocial impact, the patient's expectations and, more importantly, the patient's willingness and ability to actively follow the treatment procedure. Fixed-dose combination of corticosteroid and vitamin D analogs is the preferred topical medication for both initial and maintenance phases of treatment. The fast containment of the disease is the goal of the initial phase of 4-8 weeks and it demands a potent fast-acting topical therapy. Satisfactory control of the disease and prevention of relapses should be achieved during the maintenance phase with twice a week or weekend applications.
BACKGROUND: Ustekinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults. However, factors including efficacy, tolerability, ease of use, and cost burden may affect ustekinumab utilization. Noncompliance may, in turn, affect treatment response.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ustekinumab utilization in the real-world setting in Asia-Pacific countries.
METHODS: In this phase 4 observational study conducted in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan, adults with plaque psoriasis receiving ustekinumab were followed for up to 52 weeks. Study endpoints were the proportion of all patients using ustekinumab according to label-recommended intervals and the proportion of Korean patients who achieved a psoriasis area severity index 75 response at week 16. Safety was assessed by monitoring adverse events.
RESULTS: Overall, 169 patients received ustekinumab (Korea, n=102; other countries, n=67). Just over half (56.2%) of patients used ustekinumab with the label-recommended interval from baseline to week 40; the proportion was higher in Korea (73.5%) than in other countries (29.9%), probably because ustekinumab was provided without charge for Korean patients up to week 40. Noncompliance increased after week 40 in Korea and from week 28 in other Asia-Pacific countries, with cost cited as the most common reason. At week 16, 56.9% of Korean patients achieved a Psoriasis Area Severity Index 75 response. Safety results were in line with those seen in previous studies.
CONCLUSION: More than half of all patients in Asia-Pacific countries used ustekinumab as per the label-recommended dose interval, but reimbursement variations between countries may have confounded overall results.
KEYWORDS: Asia-Pacific; Compliance; Plaque psoriasis; Reimbursement; Ustekinumab
We studied the relationship between different ethnic groups, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and ischaemic heart disease. Four hundred and thirty-two inpatients from the medical wards were interviewed. Limited overnight sleep studies were done in 129 of those who had habitual snoring, daytime sleepiness based on an Epworth sleepiness scale of 8 or more, or a large neck size of 40 cm or more. There were 315 Chinese (72.9%), 67 Malays (15.5%), 43 Indians (10%) and 3 from other races (1.4%). The prevalence of OSA was 19.7%, 30% and 12% among the Chinese, Malays and Indians, respectively. The prevalence ratio for OSA was 1.52 in Malays using Chinese patients as the baseline (P = 0.07). The median neck circumference was 37 cm in both racial groups. The median body mass index was 22.7 kg/m2 in Chinese compared to 23.6 kg/m2 in Malays. The median apnoea-hypopnoea index was 22.7, 19.0 and 26.9 events/hour among the Chinese, Malays and Indians, respectively. OSA was independently associated with the prevalence of IHD (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.68; 95% CI: 1.15, 2.46; P = 0.009). The prevalence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was 31%, 24% and 28% in Chinese, Malays and Indians, respectively. The prevalence ratio for IHD in Malays compared to Chinese was 0.77. After adjusting for OSA, there was an even greater reduction in the risk of IHD (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.70). This suggests that OSA is a confounder in the relationship between race and ischaemic heart disease.