AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON TRIGGER FACTORS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PSORIATIC PATIENTS

This goal of study is to evaluate the role of stress, tobacco, drugs, infections, allergies, heredity, alcohol, hormones and skin aggressions as trigger factors and the impact on quality of life in a sample of psoriasis patients. Used methods: A transversal study performed in 90 patients affected by psoriasis interviewed between January and November 2012 at the “Mother Teresa” University Hospital, Tirana, Albania. It is based on two scored questionnaires, the first inquiring about potential trigger factors and the second assessing the quality of life. The collected data was statistically analyzed using the chi-squared statistical test (χ2 test). From analyzing data have some results: More than 70 % of patients reported that stressful events caused a flare- up of their psoriasis (p< 0.05).More than 60% of males and 20% of females were smokers (p< 0.05).About 20% of our patients were taking one or more of the medications listed in the questionnaire (p> 0.05).About 20% of patients reported having had recurrent infections (p