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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

An Immunohistopathologic Study to Profile the Folate Receptor Beta Macrophage and Vascular Immune Microenvironment in Giant Cell Arteritis
06:35

An Immunohistopathologic Study to Profile the Folate Receptor Beta Macrophage and Vascular Immune Microenvironment in Giant Cell Arteritis

Published on: February 8, 2019

Burden of incident cardiovascular events in giant cell arteritis using data from a nationwide French cohort

B Jauzelon1, T Pereira Dos Santos1, C Roubille2

  • 1Service de Biostatistique, Epidémiologie Clinique, Santé Publique, Information Médicale (BESPIM), Nimes University Hospital, Nimes, France.

Scientific Reports
|June 5, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients face a significantly higher risk of mortality and major cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke. Early screening and management of cardiovascular risk factors are crucial for improving outcomes in GCA patients.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Cardiology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a common form of adult vasculitis.
  • Large-scale data on cardiovascular events in French GCA patients are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with GCA in France.
  • To compare cardiovascular outcomes between GCA patients and a matched control group.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the French national medico-administrative health database for patient data from January 2013 to December 2022.
  • Included GCA patients hospitalized and treated with high-dose corticosteroids, matched with three controls per patient.
  • Employed multivariate Cox models to analyze all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events, adjusting for multiple risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Analyzed 12,955 GCA patients and 33,685 controls, noting higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in GCA patients.
  • GCA patients exhibited a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.21) and major cardiovascular events (HR: 1.51).
  • Specific increased risks observed for myocardial infarction (HR: 1.58), stroke (HR: 1.29), and heart failure (HR: 1.41).

Conclusions:

  • GCA is associated with a substantially elevated risk of mortality and major cardiovascular events.
  • Improved screening and management of cardiovascular risk factors are recommended to enhance GCA patient outcomes.
  • Further research is needed to explore treatment impacts and identify high-risk GCA patients.

Keywords:
Cardiovascular diseasesGiant cell arteritisMyocardial infarctionNational health databaseStrokeVasculitis

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