Table 1

Clinical variables and their association with large-artery stenosis or aortic aneurysm/dissection in 204 patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA)*

VariableLarge-artery stenosis HR (95% CI)†Aortic aneurysm/dissection HR (95% CI)†
Age at diagnosis of GCA, per 10 year increase0.7 (0.4 to 1.2)1.4 (0.9 to 2.1)
Sex, female1.5 (0.5 to 4.2)1.2 (0.5 to 3.2)
Smoking, ever2.4 (1.04 to 5.4)1.8 (0.9 to 3.8)
Headache at diagnosis of GCA0.7 (0.3 to 1.6)0.9 (0.4 to 2.0)
Jaw claudication at diagnosis of GCA0.9 (0.4 to 1.9)1.1 (0.6 to 2.2)
Scalp tenderness at diagnosis of GCA1.3 (0.6 to 2.9)1.6 (0.8 to 3.1)
Tender temporal artery at diagnosis of GCA1.4 (0.6 to 3.1)1.0 (0.4 to 2.3)
Bruit at diagnosis of GCA11.7 (3.6 to 37.4)0.8 (0.1 to 6.0)
PMR symptoms at diagnosis of GCA0.5 (0.2 to 1.4)1.1 (0.5 to 2.2)
Haemoglobin at diagnosis of GCA, per 1 g/dl decrease0.9 (0.7 to 1.2)0.9 (0.7 to 1.3)
ESR at diagnosis of GCA, per 10 mm/h increase1.0 (0.9 to 1.1)1.0 (0.9 to 1.1)
Start dose glucocorticoids, per 10 mg increase0.9 (0.7 to 1.2)0.9 (0.7 to 1.1)
Hypertension before incidence of GCA1.5 (0.7 to 3.4)0.8 (0.4 to 1.7)
Coronary artery disease before incidence of GCA1.4 (0.5 to 4.4)5.3 (2.2 to 13.1)
Hyperlipidaemia before incidence of GCA1.2 (0.5 to 2.9)1.6 (0.7 to 3.5)
TIA/stroke before incidence of GCA3.5 (1.3 to 9.6)0.8 (0.2 to 3.2)
Cumulative glucocorticoid dose‡
 Low tertile1 (reference)1 (reference)
 Medium tertile0.8 (0.3 to 2.4)4.3 (1.2 to 15.7)
 High tertile2.2 (0.5 to 9.5)3.8 (0.8 to 17.4)
Number of relapses1.2 (1.0 to 1.5)1.0 (0.9 to 1.2)

  • *Statistically significant values are shown in bold.

  • †Adjusted for age, sex and calendar year.

  • ‡For cumulative glucocorticoid exposure: low tertile ≤5000 mg; mid-tertile >5000–≤15 000 m; high tertile >15 000 mg.

  • ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; PMR, polymyalgia rheumatica; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.