Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Cough as a clinical manifestation of giant cell arteritis
Authors' conclusion
GCA patients with cough may represent a distinct phenotype associated with systemic inflammation and large-vessel involvement.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive patients diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA) 2000–2020 and followed ≥ 12 months, University Hospitals Leuven (Belgium)
- Participants
- 398 patients
- Exposure
- GCA with cough vs GCA without cough
- Coughn = 72
- Outcome
- Frequency of cough at diagnosis in GCA
- Follow-up
- Diagnosis
Methodological detailssingle-centre, consecutive patients
- Single-centre
- Consecutive patients
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Cough at diagnosis
Cough
18%
72
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Age at diagnosis
P = 0.019
Constitutional symptoms
P < 0.001
PMR
P < 0.001
Permanent visual loss
P < 0.001
| Outcome | Cough | No cough | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| PET total vascular score | 10 | 5 | P = 0.009 |
| Time to first relapse | 10 months | — withheld: not confirmed against the abstract | P = 0.018 |
— withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm the value against the abstract
- CRP
- P = 0.003
- ESR
- P = 0.036
- Haemoglobin
- P = 0.008
- Albumin
- P = 0.013
Age at diagnosis
- Patients with cough slightly younger
Probability of discontinuing GC
- Similar
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Cough as a clinical manifestation of giant cell arteritis. Scand J Rheumatol. Published 7 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →