Comment on: Epidemiology of biopsy-confirmed giant cell arteritis in southern Sweden —an update on incidence and first prevalence estimate

Dear Editor, We commend Stamatiset al., who identified a pattern of seasonal variation in the incidence of GCA in a Swedish cohort with positive temporal artery biopsy (TAB) [1]. Over a 23-year study period, more diagnoses were made in the spring and summer. There was also a fall in the incidence of 2% per year. Proposed explanations regarding environmental risk factors for GCA, including the latitude and altitude of study populations, remain unproven. The present paper adds to a growing literature of conflicting findings in the epidemiological landscape of GCA. Other studies, including some within Scandinavia, report more GCA presentations in the spring, summer or autumn, or no seasonal trends [2,3].
Source: Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research