Psoriatic arthritis

Risk factors

Date updated: December 13, 2008
Content provided by MayoClinic.com

Several factors can increase your risk of psoriatic arthritis, including:

• Psoriasis. Having psoriasis is the single greatest risk factor for psoriatic arthritis. People who have psoriasis lesions on their nails are especially likely to develop psoriatic arthritis.
• Your family history. Many people with psoriatic arthritis have a close relative with the disease.
• Your age. Although anyone can develop psoriatic arthritis, it occurs most often in adults between the ages of 30 and 50.
• Your sex. In general, psoriatic arthritis affects men and women equally, but DIP arthritis and spondylitis are more likely to affect men, whereas symmetric arthritis occurs more often in women.

Psoriasis causes patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales.

In some cases, psoriasis can cause pitted and deformed nails that are thickened and discolored. Nails may also separate from the nail bed.