Table 1

Baseline characteristics of patients with GCA with and without a relapse within the first 12 months after diagnosis

All patients
(n=47)
Relapsing patients (n=32)Non-relapsing patients (n=15)P value
Female, n (%)30 (64)21 (66)9 (60)0.753
Age, years, median (IQR)72 (66–76)72 (66–76)72 (65–76)0.732
BMI, kg/m2, median (IQR)23 (21–26); N=3224 (22–27); N=2022 (20–25); N=120.211
Vascular involvement by imaging
 Temporal artery, n (%)28 (60)18 (56)10 (67)0.357
 Large vessels, n (%)31 (66)23 (72)8 (53)0.719
Disease characteristics
 Fever, n (%)6 (13)4 (13)2 (13)1
 Weight loss, n (%)21 (45)13 (41)8 (53)0.616
 Stroke/TIA, n (%)2(4)1(3)1(7)0.541
 Visual impairment, n (%)12 (26)7 (22)5 (33)0.481
 Permanent vision loss, n (%)3 (6)3 (9)0 (0)0.541
 Jaw claudication, n (%)15 (32)9 (28)6 (40)0.623
 New onset headache, n (%)35 (74)24 (75)11 (73)1
 Scalp tenderness, n (%)16 (34)12 (38)4 (27)0.528
 Pathological temporal artery, n (%)17 (36)10 (31)7 (47)0.484
 Polymyalgia, n (%)18 (38)12 (38)4 (27)1
 ESR, mm/hour, median (IQR)64 (35–90)70 (46–95)42 (28–71)0.027
 C-reactive protein, mg/L, median (IQR)76 (42–110)90 (48–145)59 (40–90)0.171
 Haemoglobin, g/L, median (IQR)120 (106–133)118 (106–127)127 (114–140)0.077
Therapy
 GC pulse therapy (intravenous), n (%)11 (23)5 (16)6 (40)0.136
 Initial GC dose (p.o.), mg/day, median (IQR)60 (50–60)60 (50–60)60 (50–60)0.908
  • All p values below 0.05 have been given in bold

  • BMI, body mass index; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; GC, glucocorticoid; GCA, giant cell arteritis; n, number; p.o., peroral; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.