Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Incidence and Disease Course of Polymyalgia Rheumatica During Two Decades: A Nationwide Study Across Health Care Sectors in Denmark
Authors' conclusion
The increasing incidence of PMR in secondary health care was exceeded by the declining incidence in primary health care. Most late-onset GCA developed within the first year after PMR diagnosis.
Study context
- Population
- People aged ≥50 years in Denmark with PMR identified by a new algorithm across health care sectors, 2003–2024
- Participants
- 51,401 people
- Exposure
- Primary care vs Secondary care
- Primary caren = 24,456
- Secondary caren = 26,945
- Outcome
- Annual incidence rates of PMR
- Follow-up
- 2003 to 2024
Methodological detailsnationwide, individual-level linked data, across primary and secondary health care sectors
- Nationwide
- Individual-level linked data
- Across primary and secondary health care sectors
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Age-standardised incidence, per 100,000 people
112
95% CI 110.8–112.8
Change in incidence over study period, primary health care
declined by 53%
Change in incidence over study period, secondary health care
increased by 30%
Overall change in incidence over study period
decline of 12%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Late-onset giant cell arteritis (GCA) in PMR patients
- GCA rate per 1,000 patient-years
- 5.4 (95% CI 5.1-5.7)
- Median days from PMR diagnosis to GCA (IQR 10-602)
- 68
Still treated with PDN · 5 and 10 years
- Proportion still on PDN at 5 years
- 28%
- Proportion still on PDN at 10 years
- 22%
- Median daily PDN dose at 5 years, mg
- 4.1
- Median daily PDN dose at 10 years, mg
- 5.5
Original publication
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