PP9. LATROGENIC COMPLICATIONS IN GIANT CELL ARTERITIS AND POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA: A MULTICENTER, PROSPECTIVE DOUBLE COHORT STUDY

• Published in: Rheumatology
• Main Authors: Duhaut, P., Seydoux, D., Bosshard, S., Le Page, L., Boutin, D., Smail, A., Cevallos, R., Pellet, H., Piette, J. C., Ducroix, J. P.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 2005
• Subjects: POSTER PRESENTATIONS; Greenland
• Online Access: http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/44/suppl_3/iii17; https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keh762

Background: Iatrogenic complications of steroids are of particular concern in the elderly. We assessed in a prospective, double cohort study their relative risks in giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients compared with population based, age- and sex-matched controls. Methods: 440 GCA and PMR patients were included at the time of diagnosis, along with 290 randomly selected controls (mean age: 74±8 years). All GCA patients fulfilled the ACR classification criteria. Cases and controls were followed up every six months on a 5-year period with a questionnaire sent to the referent physician and/or the general practitioner, recording adverse effects (including severe infections leading to hospitalization and sigmoid ulcers) and death. Cumulative incidences have been measured over the 12 6-month periods, and Mantel-Haenszel adjusted relative risks with Greenland-Robins 95% interval confidence, computed. Results: Results are given in table below. <r> <c>Side-Effect</c> <c>Relative Risk</c> <c>95% Confidence interval</c> <c>p (Mantel-Haenszel)</c></r> <r> <c>Diabetes</c> <c>1.59</c> <c>1.46–1.68</c> <c><1.10–8</c></r> <r> <c>Cushingoid face</c> <c>1.86</c> <c>1.80–1.91</c> <c><1.10–8</c></r> <r> <c>Bone fracture (all types)</c> <c>1.42</c> <c>1.26–1.59</c> <c>0.00004</c></r> <r> <c>Vertebral fracture</c> <c>1.76</c> <c>1.68–1.85</c> <c><1.10–8</c></r> <r> <c>Hip fracture</c> <c>1.85</c> <c>1.80–1.91</c> <c>0.00004</c></r> <r> <c>Gastric hemorrhage</c> <c>1.46</c> <c>1.24–1.73</c> <c>0.01</c></r> <r> <c>Hypertension</c> <c>1.47</c> ...