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Rate of comorbidities in giant cell arteritis : A population-based study

Mohammad, Aladdin J. LU ; Englund, Martin LU orcid ; Turesson, Carl LU ; Tomasson, Gunnar and Merkel, Peter A. (2017) In Journal of Rheumatology 44(1). p.84-90
Abstract

Objective. To compare the rate of occurrence of comorbidities, including severe infections, in a population-based cohort of patients with biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) with a reference population in Southern Sweden. Methods. The study included a population-based cohort of biopsy-proven GCA cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2010 from the Skane region in Southern Sweden (population: 1.2 million). For each patient, 4 reference subjects were identified from the general population and matched for age, sex, area of residence, and date of diagnosis of GCA. Using the Skane Healthcare Register, comorbidities and severe infections (requiring hospitalization) diagnosed after GCA onset were identified. The rate of the first occurrence of... (More)

Objective. To compare the rate of occurrence of comorbidities, including severe infections, in a population-based cohort of patients with biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) with a reference population in Southern Sweden. Methods. The study included a population-based cohort of biopsy-proven GCA cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2010 from the Skane region in Southern Sweden (population: 1.2 million). For each patient, 4 reference subjects were identified from the general population and matched for age, sex, area of residence, and date of diagnosis of GCA. Using the Skane Healthcare Register, comorbidities and severe infections (requiring hospitalization) diagnosed after GCA onset were identified. The rate of the first occurrence of each comorbidity was the result of dividing the number of subjects with a given comorbidity by the person-years of followup. The rate ratio (RR; GCA:reference population) was also calculated. Results. There were 768 patients (571 women) with GCA and 3066 reference persons included in the study. The RR were significantly elevated for osteoporosis (2.81, 95% CI 2.33-3.37), followed by venous thromboembolic diseases (2.36, 95% CI 1.61-3.40), severe infections (1.85, 95% CI 1.57-2.18), thyroid diseases (1.55, 95% CI 1.25-1.91), cerebrovascular accidents (1.40, 95% CI 1.12-1.74), and diabetes mellitus (1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.56). The RR for ischemic heart disease was elevated, but did not reach statistical significance (1.20, 95% CI 1.00-1.44). Conclusion. Patients with GCA have higher rates of selected comorbidities, including severe infections, compared with a reference population. Several of these comorbidities may be related to treatment with glucocorticosteroids, emphasizing the unmet need to find alternative treatments for GCA.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Rheumatology
volume
44
issue
1
pages
7 pages
publisher
Journal of Rheumatology Publishing Company Limited
external identifiers
  • pmid:27803140
  • wos:000393907500012
  • scopus:85008174089
ISSN
0315-162X
DOI
10.3899/jrheum.160249
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3abfc0ab-5d7b-4067-ac60-4d7290091fb5
date added to LUP
2017-01-16 08:37:08
date last changed
2024-03-07 20:27:27
@article{3abfc0ab-5d7b-4067-ac60-4d7290091fb5,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective. To compare the rate of occurrence of comorbidities, including severe infections, in a population-based cohort of patients with biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) with a reference population in Southern Sweden. Methods. The study included a population-based cohort of biopsy-proven GCA cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2010 from the Skane region in Southern Sweden (population: 1.2 million). For each patient, 4 reference subjects were identified from the general population and matched for age, sex, area of residence, and date of diagnosis of GCA. Using the Skane Healthcare Register, comorbidities and severe infections (requiring hospitalization) diagnosed after GCA onset were identified. The rate of the first occurrence of each comorbidity was the result of dividing the number of subjects with a given comorbidity by the person-years of followup. The rate ratio (RR; GCA:reference population) was also calculated. Results. There were 768 patients (571 women) with GCA and 3066 reference persons included in the study. The RR were significantly elevated for osteoporosis (2.81, 95% CI 2.33-3.37), followed by venous thromboembolic diseases (2.36, 95% CI 1.61-3.40), severe infections (1.85, 95% CI 1.57-2.18), thyroid diseases (1.55, 95% CI 1.25-1.91), cerebrovascular accidents (1.40, 95% CI 1.12-1.74), and diabetes mellitus (1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.56). The RR for ischemic heart disease was elevated, but did not reach statistical significance (1.20, 95% CI 1.00-1.44). Conclusion. Patients with GCA have higher rates of selected comorbidities, including severe infections, compared with a reference population. Several of these comorbidities may be related to treatment with glucocorticosteroids, emphasizing the unmet need to find alternative treatments for GCA.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mohammad, Aladdin J. and Englund, Martin and Turesson, Carl and Tomasson, Gunnar and Merkel, Peter A.}},
  issn         = {{0315-162X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{84--90}},
  publisher    = {{Journal of Rheumatology Publishing Company Limited}},
  series       = {{Journal of Rheumatology}},
  title        = {{Rate of comorbidities in giant cell arteritis : A population-based study}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/27446825/19893890.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.3899/jrheum.160249}},
  volume       = {{44}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}