Factors associated with drug survival of methotrexate and acitretin in patients with psoriasis.

Drug survival has recently become an important clinical issue in psoriasis. However, there has been little research into factors associated with drug survival of methotrexate and acitretin. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with drug survival of methotrexate and acitretin treatment for psoriasis. Survival analysis was performed in patients who received methotrexate or acitretin for the treatment of psoriasis, drawn from the Clalit Health Services database. Investigated factors included demographic variables, obesity, metabolic syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, administration route and folic acid supplementation. Among 6,256 patients, factors associated with treatment drop-out were: younger age (p <0.001) and psoriatic arthritis (acitretin p < 0.001). For methotrexate, metabolic syndrome (p = 0.033), intramuscular administration route of injection (p <0.001) and lack of folic acid supplementation (p <0.001) were associated with treatment drop-out. In patients with psoriasis, some ancillary factors may modify the drug survival of acitretin and methotrexate.