TOPLINE:

In a UK study, patients with psoriasis having higher levels of physical activity, adequate sleep duration, and a healthy BMI reported a reduced likelihood of quality-of-life impairments compared to those with BMI in the obesity range.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of an open web-based survey including 353 patients with psoriasis (82% women) from June 2022 to January 2024.
• Patients reported lifestyle characteristics including levels of physical activity (60% engaged in minimal physical activity), sleep duration (69% adequate and 61% fairly good quality), and eating habits (37% ate within 2 hours of their sleep onset and 40% had eating windows exceeding 12 hours daily).
• Quality of life was evaluated using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), physical activity was measured with the short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and dietary modification questions were adapted from a patient-reported outcome survey in the US.
• The association of quality-of-life impairments with lifestyle factors, including eating habits, BMI, and levels of physical activity, was evaluated.

TAKEAWAY:

• Patients in the lowest BMI tertile reported a 71% reduced possibility of quality-of-life impairments compared to those in the highest BMI tertile (odds ratio, 0.29; adjusted P < .01).
• Patients who omitted refined sugars from their diet reported significantly lower median DLQI scores (8 vs 11 points) and self-assessed Simplified Psoriasis Index scores (14 vs 18 points) than those who did not omit refined sugars (adjusted P = .03 for both). Patients who adopted a diet rich in healthy oils, prebiotics, and fermented foods and eliminated red meat, dairy products, and gluten achieved significantly lower median BMI (adjusted P < .05).
• Patients whose psoriasis highly affected clothing choices and participation in social or sporting activities and who felt embarrassed reported minimal or low vigorous intensity exercise compared with those less affected (adjusted P < .05 for all).
• Higher DLQI scores were correlated with a greater severity of psoriasis (P < .001) and higher BMI (P < .001), whereas physical activity, sleep duration, and the time between the last meal and the onset of sleep were inversely correlated with DLQI scores (P < .01, P = .03, and P = .05, respectively).

IN PRACTICE:

The findings suggest that "simple tools such as BMI and the IPAQ [International Physical Activity Questionnaire] can turn clinical insight into action, thereby personalising care and connecting patients to dietetic and psychological support when needed," the authors wrote. "Embedding these measures into routine care could help dermatology teams focus on what matters most to patients: easing the impact of psoriasis on daily life and improving QoL [quality of life]," they added.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Sylvia Zanesco, Department of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, London, England. It was published online on April 09, 2026, in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

Incomplete responses reduced the available sample size for analysis. There was a potential for underestimating or overestimating exposures and outcomes due to self-reporting. The overrepresentation of women in the study sample limited the generalisability of the findings, and psoriasis diagnosis was self-declared without clinical verification. The cross-sectional design prevented the evaluation of how lifestyle patterns influenced quality of life over time.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was funded by the Psoriasis Association. Three authors reported receiving honoraria, research grants, or consulting fees from AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, and various other sources.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.