AccScience Publishing / JCTR / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/jctr.24.00057
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Impact of treatment adherence on psoriasis severity: Insights from a multicenter cross-sectional study in Brazil

Kauê Cézar Sá Justo1 Fernando Henrique Teixeira Zonzini1 Aguinaldo Bonalumi Filho1 Anber Ancel Tanaka1 Jessica Scherer Dagostini1 Rogerio Nabor Kondo1 Adriane Reichert Faria1 João Batista Calixto1 Daniela Almeida Cabrini1 Michel Fleith Otuki1*
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1 Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil
Received: 30 August 2024 | Revised: 2 November 2024 | Accepted: 26 March 2025 | Published online: 2 July 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, non-contagious inflammatory skin disease with significant physical and quality-of-life impacts. In Brazil, its estimated incidence is 1.3%. Due to the complexity of the disease, effective management requires addressing multiple factors, with treatment adherence and persistence being critical challenges. Aim: To evaluate the correlation between psoriasis severity and treatment adherence and persistence among patients in Paraná, Brazil. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 133 psoriasis patients treated at the three primary specialized care centers in the state, between January 28, 2022, and December 9, 2022. Results: A negative correlation (−0.102, rs² = 1.04%) was observed between psoriasis severity and treatment adherence. Conversely, there was a positive correlation (0.2444, rs² = 5.97%) between psoriasis severity and treatment discontinuation history. Conclusion: Treatment interruptions were correlated with increased psoriasis severity, whereas higher adherence was associated with milder clinical manifestations. Relevance for patients: These findings underscore the critical role of consistent treatment adherence in managing psoriasis. Interruptions in treatment are linked to more severe forms of psoriasis, highlighting the detrimental effects of non-adherence. In contrast, patients who maintained high levels of adherence experienced less severe symptoms, emphasizing that consistent treatment is key to improved disease control. Strengthening patient-provider collaboration and adherence strategies can improve clinical outcomes and enhance quality of life.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Psoriasis
Treatment adherence
Treatment persistence
Disease severity
Funding
This work is supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Grant no.: 313349/2021-5, 315628/2021-9); INCT-INOVAMED (Grant no.: 465430/2014-7); and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior for scholarships to Kauê Cézar Sá Justo and Fernando Henrique Teixeira Zonzini.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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Journal of Clinical and Translational Research, Electronic ISSN: 2424-810X Print ISSN: 2382-6533, Published by AccScience Publishing