Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Color Doppler carotid resistance, pulsatility, and aortic oscillometry indices in giant cell arteritis: insights from the VASCARD cohort
Authors' conclusion
GCA patients demonstrated increased carotid pulsatility, resistance, atherosclerosis, and aortic stiffness compared to controls.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and healthy controls (VASCARD cohort)
- Participants
- 66 vs 93
- Exposure
- GCA patients vs healthy controls
- GCAn = 66
- Controlsn = 93reference
- Outcome
- Color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS), greyscale ultrasound (GSUS) and oscillometric indices, GCA vs controls
Methodological detailscase-control comparison with healthy controls
- Case-control comparison with healthy controls
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- GCA vs Controls: padj <0.001
- GCA vs Controls: padj =0.037
- GCA vs Controls: padj =0.009
- GCA vs Controls: padj=0.019
- GCA vs Controls: P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Correlates of carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (cfPWV) (traditional CV risk factors)
- Age, rho = 0.330
- P < 0.009
- Mean arterial pressure, rho = 0.257
- P = 0.044
- Cholesterol, rho = 0.318
- P = 0.017
CCA-PI and CCA-RI by immunosuppressive therapy (GCA patients)
- CCA-PI lower with vs without immunosuppressive therapy: 1.5 (1.33-2.04) vs. 1.95 (1.72-2.29)
- P < 0.05
- CCA-RI lower with vs without immunosuppressive therapy: 0.74 (0.68-0.82) vs. 0.80 (0.76-0.85)
- P < 0.05
CCA-RI predicted by ESR
- ESR, rho = 0.343
- P = 0.044
Correlates of carotid intima-media-thickness (cIMT)
- Age, r = 0.619
- P < 0.001
- Plaque area, rho = 0.305
- P = 0.047
Original publication
Color Doppler carotid resistance, pulsatility, and aortic oscillometry indices in giant cell arteritis: insights from the VASCARD cohort. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 28 March 2026. doi:10.
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