Multiple Comorbidity Risks with Giant Cell Arteritis Save

Elderly patients treated with high doses of corticosteroids are bound to have multiple medical problems. But this was only recently quantified by researchers analyzing a a population-based cohort of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients in Southern Sweden.

Specifically they studed the frequency of comorbidities among 768 patients with GCA and compared rated to a reference group of 3066 reference. The

The increased risk of comorbidities was found for:

• Osteoporosis (RR 2.81, 95% CI 2.33–3.37)
• Venous thromboembolic diseases (RR 2.36, 95% CI 1.61–3.40)
• Severe infections (RR 1.85, 95% CI 1.57–2.18)
• Thyroid diseases (RR 1.55, 95% CI 1.25–1.91)
• Cerebrovascular accidents (RR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12–1.74)
• Diabetes mellitus (1.29, 95% CI 1.05–1.56).
• (The RR for ischemic heart disease was elevated, but was not statistically significant)

Many of these are related to chronic and higher dose corticosteroid use. Nonetheless, GCA patients have higher rates of selected comorbidities, including severe infections.

These data underscore the substantial unmet need for other non-steroid treatment alternatives when managing GCA patients.