Prevalence, incidence, gender and age distribution, and economic burden of psoriasis worldwide and in Kazakhstan

Aim: This study aimed to conduct a literature review on the prevalence, incidence, gender and age distribution of psoriasis, as well as the economic burden of psoriasis worldwide, including Kazakhstan. Material and methods: A literature review was conducted using keywords in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, eLibrary.ru databases, and Google Scholar to identify relevant articles. Results: The prevalence of psoriasis varies by geographic location and race. However, psoriasis is predominantly common in Western countries and among people of European descent: in Norway (4.6%), France (4.42%), Portugal (4.4%), and the United States of America (3.0%). Significant differences in the prevalence of this disease were identified in Kazakhstan, ranging from 0.86% to 2.5%. In many Western countries, the incidence rate of psoriasis is significantly higher than the global incidence rate (57.8 cases per 100,000 population): in Denmark (199.5), Italy (230.62), and Israel (280), respectively. In Kazakhstan, the incidence rate is 35.0 per 100,000 population, which is almost 1.7 times lower than the global rate. Psoriasis affects both genders. There is a bimodal pattern of manifestation of psoriasis with early (type I) and late (type II) onset, which occurs in the age range of 30–40 years, and about 60 years. In addition, treating and providing medications to patients with psoriasis represents a significant economic burden for both the government and the patients themselves. Conclusion: The study made it possible to determine the current epidemiological situation of psoriasis worldwide, including Kazakhstan, as well as to assess the economic burden of this disease.