Takeaway
- This study suggests that a diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) does not have a significant impact on life expectancy.
- The causes of death were similar among patients with PMR compared with controls; however, a slightly higher proportion of patients with PMR died because of vascular causes.
Why this matters
- Findings are reassuring for patients with PMR and physicians.
Study design
- This retrospective study included 18,943 patients with PMR and 87,801 matched control participants using data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD; 1990-2016).
- Mean (standard deviation) follow-up after date of PMR diagnosis was 8.0 (4.4) years in patients with PMR and 7.9 (4.6) years in the control group.
- Funding: None disclosed.
Key results
- Over the whole time period, a slightly higher proportion of patients with PMR died vs those without PMR (31.9% and 31.0%).
- PMR was not associated with an increase in the risk of death (mortality rates: 39.9 vs 39.2 per 1000 patient years; adjusted mortality rate ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.97-1.03).
- Causes of death were broadly similar between PMR and control groups.
- Patients with PMR vs control participants were slightly more likely to have a vascular cause of death recorded (24% vs 23%).
Limitations
- Retrospective design.
This clinical summary first appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.
