Psoriasis helped by Aloe Vera

Patients with plaque psoriasis had a greater reduction in disease activity when treated with topical aloe vera compared with a topical steroid, data from a randomized trial demonstrated.

Patients treated with aloe vera had a significantly greater reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) after eight weeks of treatment, Charoen Choonhakarn, M.D., of Khon Kaen University in Khon Kaen, Thailand, and colleagues reported here at the International Congress of Dermatology.

The difference did not achieve statistical significance, but the magnitude of change from baseline to eight weeks differed significantly in an adjusted analysis.

The advantage demonstrated in the study landed in a middle ground between two previous studies that produced conflicting results.

“Although contrary results were reported from two previous placebo-controlled studies, our study showed that aloe vera cream was more effective than 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide cream after eight weeks of treatment,” the investigators concluded.

“The between-group difference in adjusted means was statistically significant,” they added. “Thus, aloe vera cream can be considered a safe alternative treatment for mild to moderate chronic plaque psoriasis.”

Topical steroids remain central to most management strategies for psoriasis, but chronic use poses a risk of local and systemic adverse effects.

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