Risk of vascular events in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.

Risk of vascular events in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.
CMAJ. 2014 Jul 28;
Authors: Hancock AT, Mallen CD, Muller S, Belcher J, Roddy E, Helliwell T, Hider SL
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Polymyalgia rheumatica is one of the most common inflammatory rheumatologic conditions in older adults. Other inflammatory rheumatologic disorders are associated with an excess risk of vascular disease. We investigated whether polymyalgia rheumatica is associated with an increased risk of vascular events.
METHODS: We used the General Practice Research Database to identify patients with a diagnosis of incident polymyalgia rheumatica between Jan. 1, 1987, and Dec. 31, 1999. Patients were matched by age, sex and practice with up to 5 patients without polymyalgia rheumatica. Patients were followed until their first vascular event (cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, peripheral vascular) or the end of available records (May 2011). All participants were free of vascular disease before the diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (or matched date). We used Cox regression models to compare time to first vascular event in patients with and without polymyalgia rheumatica.
RESULTS: A total of 3249 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica and 12 735 patients without were included in the final sample. Over a median follow-up period of 7.8 (interquartile range 3.3-12.4) years, the rate of vascular events was higher among patients with polymyalgia rheumatica ...

Source: cmaj - July 28, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Hancock AT, Mallen CD, Muller S, Belcher J, Roddy E, Helliwell T, Hider SL Tags: CMAJ Source Type: research