COMPARISON OF FUNCTIONAL EXERCISE CAPACITY, PERIPHERAL MUSCLE STRENGTH, DYSPNEA AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH PSORIASIS AND HEALTHY CONTROLS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: This study was aimed to compare the functional exercise capacity, upper and lower extremity muscle strength, dyspnea, fatigue, quality of life (QoL), level of physical activity (PA), and cardiovascular diseases knowledge level in patients with psoriasis and healthy individuals. Method: Thirty-six patients and 36 healthy controls were included in the study. The functional exercise capacity [6 minutes walking test (6-MWT)], upper and lower extremity muscle strength (Dynamometer), dyspnea severity [Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea scale (MMRC)], fatigue severity [Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)], QoL [The Short Form 36 questionnaire (SF-36)], PA [The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)], cardiovascular diseases knowledge level [Risk Factors in Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge Level (CARRF-KL)scale], and disease severity [Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)] of the individuals were evaluated. Results: Demographic characteristics were similar in patients [49(38.50-58) years, 16M/20F] and healthy controls [51(46.25-55) y, 23M/13F] (p>0.05). The 6-MWT distance, upper and lower extremity muscle strength, SF-36 subscales, IPAQ, and CARRF-KL scores were significantly lower; FSS and MMRC scores were higher in patients than controls (p