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. 2025 Sep 2;45(9):212.
doi: 10.1007/s00296-025-05966-5.

Psoriatic arthritis incidence and prevalence trajectory in Poland-public-payer, national-level, long-term data

Magdalena Krajewska-Włodarczyk  1 , Mateusz Szeląg  2 , Bogdan Batko  3 , Marcin Stajszczyk  4 , Michał Orleański  5 , Krzysztof Podwójcic  5   6 , Jakub Sowiński  5 , Maria Świderek  5 , Marek Brzosko  7 , Agata Śmiglewska  5 , Brygida Kwiatkowska  8 , Zbigniew Żuber  9
Affiliations

Psoriatic arthritis incidence and prevalence trajectory in Poland-public-payer, national-level, long-term data

Magdalena Krajewska-Włodarczyk et al. Rheumatol Int. .

Abstract

To estimate the actual incidence and prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) within a 9-year timeframe in Poland. Patients were defined as having PsA if they had at least two visits more than 90 days apart with ICD-10 codes M07.0, M07.1, M07.2, M07.3, or L40.5 and filled at least one reimbursed prescription for peripheral or axial PsA-specific treatments during this period (including methotrexate, sulfasalazine, ciclosporin, leflunomide, biologics, targeted synthetic drugs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Data was obtained from the nationwide public payer database, considering gender, age, and region of residence. We observed an incidence rate of 1.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021, compared to 13.2 in 2013. Regarding the age of the first diagnosis, the peak incidence rate decreased, with a more pronounced decline in men. The prevalence of PsA rose from 72.5 individuals per 100,000 in 2013 to 95.5 in 2021, representing approximately 0.1% of the total population in Poland, with a significant predominance of women among patients over 55 years of age. The decline in PsA incidence may be influenced by a strict case definition and improved access to treatment. Higher prevalence in older women suggests potential gender-related differences. The lower peak incidence and younger diagnosis age in men raise questions about whether lower PsA prevalence in older males is linked to higher mortality due to longer disease duration and comorbidities. Further research is needed to clarify these findings.

Keywords: Administrative data; Epidemiology; Incidence; Prevalence; Psoriatic arthritis; Public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Ethical approval: This analysis relies solely on data obtained from the National Health Fund (NFZ) electronic databases. Obtaining institutional ethical approval was not required.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Registered incidence between 2013 and 2021 in the general population per 100,000 population
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Age distribution of the incidence of PsA in the Polish population in 2013 and 2021
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Age distribution of incidence of PsA in 2021 by gender
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Registered morbidity from 2013 to 2021 in the general population per 100,000 population
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Number of all patients in Poland by age group and area of residence
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Number of all patients with PsA in Poland in 2021 by age group and gender
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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