Latest news with #polymyalgia rheumatica
Medscape
2 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Polymyalgia Rheumatica Not Linked to Increased Mortality
TOPLINE: In a long-term follow-up study, patients with isolated polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and biopsy-confirmed giant cell arteritis (GCA) had no increased all-cause mortality compared with matched individuals; men with PMR showed lower mortality. METHODOLOGY: Researchers assessed long-term all-cause mortality in patients with PMR using data from a prospective, population-based inception cohort in Norway between 1987 and 1997 that was followed for 38 years. They included 274 patients with isolated PMR (mean age at diagnosis, 71.9 years; 66.1% women) and 63 patients with GCA (mean age at diagnosis, 71.6 years; 76.2% women), of whom 22 had coexisting PMR and GCA. PMR was defined with the fulfilment of criteria suggested by Bird and colleagues, and the diagnosis of GCA was confirmed with a positive temporal artery biopsy. Each case of PMR and GCA was matched with 15 individuals from the population registry on the basis of sex, age at inclusion, and residency, resulting in a total of 4110 and 945 individuals, respectively. Mortality and survival were assessed using the standard mortality ratio (SMR), with patients being followed up till death or until December 2024. TAKEAWAY: Among all patients with PMR, 96% had died by the end of the study, with a mean follow-up duration of 14 years and a maximum of 35.3 years. All-cause mortality in patients with PMR or GCA did not differ significantly from that in matched individuals. Men with PMR had significantly lower all-cause mortality (SMR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.62-0.95); no significant sex-related differences were observed in patients with GCA. The overall cumulative survival in patients with PMR or GCA was not significantly different from that in the matched individuals. IN PRACTICE: "Our findings align with previous evidence reinforcing that isolated PMR does not significantly impact survival negatively, offering reassurance to both patients and clinicians regarding its long-term prognosis," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Stig Tengesdal, Sørlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway. It was published online on July 21, 2025, in Arthritis Research & Therapy. LIMITATIONS: The Bird's criteria may have relatively poor specificity for PMR. The prevalence of large vessel vasculitis may have been underestimated in the PMR cohort. Cases of malignancy could not be identified and excluded as data from medical charts were limited. DISCLOSURES: This study did not receive any specific funding. The authors declared having no competing interests. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Medscape
11-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Sarilumab Improves Quality of Life in Polymyalgia Rheumatica
TOPLINE: In patients with relapsing polymyalgia rheumatica, sarilumab with a rapid glucocorticoid taper regimen of 14 weeks led to greater improvements in patient-reported outcomes of health-related quality of life than placebo with a 52-week glucocorticoid taper, especially in those with severe disease activity. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analyzed data from a phase 3, multinational, randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of sarilumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the interleukin 6 receptor, on patient-reported outcomes in patients with relapsing polymyalgia rheumatica. They included 118 patients (mean age, 68.9 years; 69% women; 83% White) who had received at least 8 weeks of glucocorticoid treatment and experienced at least one flare during the glucocorticoid tapering phase, with an erythrocyte sedimentation rate > 30 mm/h or a C-reactive protein level > 10 mg/L in the preceding 12 weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 200 mg subcutaneous sarilumab every 2 weeks with a 14-week glucocorticoid taper (n = 60) or a matching placebo with 52 weeks of glucocorticoid taper (n = 58). Several patient-reported outcomes were assessed at baseline and through 52 weeks to evaluate the effect of sarilumab on health-related quality of life using instruments such as the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the EuroQoL 5-Dimension (EQ-5D) 3-Level questionnaire, and the Patient Global Assessment of Health Visual Analog Scale, among others. TAKEAWAY: At baseline, 73% of patients in the sarilumab group and 74% in the placebo group reported moderate-to-severe fatigue. At week 52, the sarilumab group reported greater improvements than the placebo group in SF-36 Physical Component Summary scores (least-squares mean [LSM] difference, 4.78; P = .020) and Mental Component Summary scores (LSM difference, 4.75; P = .030), as well as in EQ-5D utility index scores (LSM difference, 0.13; P = .034). Patients with high disease severity at baseline reported significantly greater improvements in some health-related quality-of-life measures at week 52 with sarilumab than with placebo. In a post hoc analysis, more patients in the sarilumab group than in the placebo group achieved improvements equal to or greater than the minimum clinically important difference in SF-36 Physical Component Summary scores at 52 weeks (odds ratio, 3.46; P = .020), resulting in a number needed to treat of 3.7. IN PRACTICE: 'Sarilumab accompanied by an abbreviated 14-week glucocorticoid taper achieved substantially better outcomes than placebo, seemingly more so in patients with more severe disease at baseline,' experts wrote in an accompanying comment. SOURCE: This study was led by Vibeke Strand, MD, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California. It was published online on June 19, 2025, in The Lancet Rheumatology. LIMITATIONS: This study was terminated prematurely. Detailed psychometric validation of the patient-reported outcomes was absent. No individuals with lived experience were involved at any stage in the study. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Several authors reported serving as employees and/or holding stocks in the funding companies. Some other authors reported consulting for, receiving grants from, or holding stocks in various pharmaceutical companies including Sanofi, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and AbbVie. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
