Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Linked to Higher Mortality Risk Than Plaque Psoriasis: Study

The study revealed the following findings:

• Patients with GPP exhibited a significantly higher risk of death.
• At one-year follow-up, the All-GPP group had nearly a five-fold increased mortality risk compared to the general population (HR 4.93).
• When compared to patients with plaque psoriasis only, the All-GPP group had more than double the mortality risk at one year (HR 2.31).
• The elevated mortality risk for GPP patients remained consistent during longer-term follow-up.
• At maximum follow-up, mortality in the All-GPP cohort was nearly four times higher than in the general population (HR 3.98).
• Mortality in the All-GPP group was also 1.5 times higher than in the plaque psoriasis-only group at maximum follow-up (HR 1.49).

The authors emphasized that these findings highlight the serious clinical nature of GPP. Patients with GPP not only endure a severe and potentially life-threatening form of psoriasis but also face a long-term elevated mortality risk, even when compared to those with the more common plaque psoriasis.

These results, they note, highlight the urgent need for improved management strategies and greater clinical attention to the risks associated with GPP. Future studies are warranted to explore the underlying causes of increased mortality in this patient population and to guide interventions that could mitigate this risk.

Reference:

Gottlieb, A. B., Kwiatkowski, H. C., Semeco, J., Lakshminarasimhan, B., Strober, B., & Lebwohl, M. (2025). All-Cause Mortality is Higher in Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP) than Plaque Psoriasis and the General Population: A US-Based Claims Analysis. Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis®. https://doi.org/1344155