Overview of patients with GCA/PMR from the Dutch GPS cohort and the Dutch general population cohort
| GCA (GPS) | PMR (GPS) | Lifelines population | Kruskal-Wallis p value | |
| N (total) | 50 | 44 | 93 | |
| Age in years, median (range) | 71.0 (52–89) | 73.0 (54–84) | 70.0 (52–85) | 0.096 |
| Female, n (%) | 35 (70) | 26 (59) | 61 (66) | 0.538 |
| Diagnosis (TAB/PET-CT/both), n | 23/33/9 | —/31/— | — | |
| Patients with GCA diagnosed with overlapping PMR | 12 | NA | — | |
| Fulfilled Chuang criteria, % (yes/no) | 67 (8/4) | 74 (32/11) | — | |
| Fulfilled ACR criteria, % (yes/no) | 72 (36/14) | 20 (9/35) | — | |
| Fulfilled ACR/EULAR criteria, % (yes/no) | 42 (5/7) | 86 (38/6) | — | |
| Duration of symptoms (days), median (range) | 47 (7–365) | 97 (30–479) | — | |
| Follow-up duration in months, median | 49 (0–63.9) | 49 (0–62.1) | — | |
| Weight loss,% (yes/no) | 62 (31/19) | 50 (20/19) | — | |
| Physical measurements | ||||
| BMI, median (range, N) | 24.3 (19.5–33.9, 33) | 26.6 (17.8–40, 35) | 26.0 (18–42, 93) | 0.122 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg), median (range, N) | 140.0 (84–185, 42) | 140.0 (120-185, 39) | 134.0 (93–185, 93) | 0.070 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg), median (range, N) | 79.5 (54–95, 42) | 80.0 (70–105, 39)*† | 72.0 (55–108, 93) | <0.0001 |
| Laboratory measurements | ||||
| CRP (mg/L), median (range, N) | 54.0 (5–215, 49) | 42.0 (3.2–186, 39) | NA | |
| ESR (mm/hour), median (range, N) | 94.0* (9–121, 49) | 57.0 (7–109, 39) | NA | |
| HbA1c (mmol/mol), median (range, N) | 43.0 (35–69, 31) | 40.0 (35–74, 29) | 40.0 (33–64, 90) | 0.187 |
| Glucose (mmol/L), median (range, N) | 6.0 (5–10, 18)† | 5.7 (4.9–9.6, 15)† | 5.3 (2.8–14.7, 93) | 0.002 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L), median (range, N) | 1.1 (0.6–2.4, 16) | 1.0 (0.7–2.1, 10) | 1.1 (0.5–3.6, 93) | 0.999 |
| Cholesterol (mmol/L), mean (±SD, N) | 4.0 (1.8–5.7, 23)†* | 4.9 (3.8–6.7, 13) | 5.4 (3.6–8.4, 93) | <0.0001 |
| HDL (mmol/L), mean (±SD, N) | 1.1 (0.1–1.9, 20)† | 1.5 (0.7–2.1, 12) | 1.7 (0.9–2.6), 93 | <0.001 |
| LDL (mmol/L), median (range, N) | 2.2 (0.8–4, 20)† | 2.7 (1.8–4.5, 12)† | 3.5 (2–6.5, 93) | <0.0001 |
| Comorbidities and intoxication | ||||
| Type 2 diabetes, % (yes/no/NA) | 12 (6/44/0) | 23 (10/34/0) | 11 (10/83/0) | 0.151 |
| Hypercholesterolaemia, % (yes/no/NA) | 22 (11/39/0) | 14 (6/38/0) | 18 (17/47/29) | 0.274 |
| Hypertension, % (yes/no/NA) | 66 (33/17/0)† | 55 (24/20/0)† | 24 (22/44/27) | 0.002 |
| Cataract, % (yes/no/NA) | 14 (7/43/0)† | 16 (7/37/0)† | 11 (10/0/83) | <0.0001 |
| Obesity, % (yes/no/NA) | 12 (4/29/17) | 26 (9/26/11) | 22 (20/73/0) | 0.356 |
| Current smoker, % (yes/no/NA) | 31 (15/33/2)* | 11 (4/34/6) | 18 (17/74/2) | 0.051 |
| Ex-smoker, % (yes/no/NA) | 29 (14/34/2)† | 37 (14/24/6)† | 47 (44/1534) | <0.0001 |
| Alcohol usage, % (yes/no/NA) | 40 (18/27/5)* | 64 (23/13/8) | NA | 0.044 |
Group differences were reported with Kruskal-Wallis p value. The missing values were reported as NA.
*Significant difference between patients with GCA and PMR within the GPS cohort.
†Differ significantly from the general population.
ACR, American College of Rheumatology; BMI, body mass index; CRP, C reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; EULAR, European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology; GCA, giant cell arteritis; GPS, GCA/PMR/SENEX; HbA1c, glycated haemoglobin; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; N, total sample number that is included for analysis; NA, not available; PET, positron emission tomography; PMR, polymyalgia rheumatica; TAB, temporal artery biopsy.