Patients with giant cell arteritis who are overweight need personalized treatment options

Patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) who are overweight or have diabetes are more at-risk for severe outcomes and require personalized treatment, according to a study.

In this retrospective real-world study, data from 77 patients with GCA with a minimum of 6-months follow-up were analyzed.

Overall, 26% of the included patients were overweight. There was a mean cumulative dose of glucocorticoids (GCs) of 7977 ± 4585 mg, with 18 patients experiencing a major GCs exposure. Tocilizumab was given to 40 patients.

Most patients (77%) experienced severe outcomes over the 48-month mean follow-up period, including infections in 29%, cardiovascular diseases in 18%, hypertension in 15%, fractural osteoporosis in 8%, and deaths in 6%.

Baseline diabetes and overweight were predictive factors of severe outcomes onset independently of age, sex, hypertension, and treatment exposure.

Reference
Dumain C, Broner J, Arnaud E, et al. Patients’ Baseline Characteristics, but Not Tocilizumab Exposure, Affect Severe Outcomes Onset in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Real-World Study. J Clin Med. 2022;11(11):3115. doi: 10.3390/jcm11113115. PMID: 35683507; PMCID: PMC9181652.