Table 4. Baseline risk factors in patients with incident giant cell arteritis during the period 1950–2009 and association with time to first cerebrovascular or venous thromboembolism event.
| Variable | Cerebrovascular Event HR* (95% CI) | P-value | Venous Thromboembolism HR* (95% CI) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAB positive | 0.86 (0.25, 2.97) | 0.81 | 2.02 (0.26, 15.93) | 0.51 |
| Fever > 100°F | 1.32 (0.52, 3.38) | 0.56 | 0.31 (0.04, 2.53) | 0.27 |
| Weight loss > 5 kg | 1.19 (0.48, 2.96) | 0.71 | 1.02 (0.22, 4.74) | 0.98 |
| Headache | 0.84 (0.36, 1.95) | 0.68 | 0.69 (0.19, 2.41) | 0.56 |
| Jaw claudication | 0.67 (0.30, 1.50) | 0.33 | 1.32 (0.39, 4.44) | 0.65 |
| Scalp tenderness | 1.56 (0.70, 3.48) | 0.28 | 0.80 (0.22, 2.88) | 0.73 |
| Tender temporal artery | 2.23 (0.98, 5.06) | 0.055 | 1.88 (0.48, 7.33) | 0.36 |
| Transient visual loss | 1.06 (0.14, 7.91) | 0.96 | 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) | 0.99 |
| Permanent visual loss | 3.80 (0.47, 30.47) | 0.21 | 5.55 (0.64, 48.46) | 0.12 |
| PMR symptoms | 1.65 (0.76, 3.58) | 0.20 | 1.65 (0.48, 5.68) | 0.43 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 1.30 (0.91, 1.85) | 0.15 | 1.23 (0.69, 2.21) | 0.48 |
| WBC, x 109/L | 0.99 (0.98, 1.01) | 0.27 | 1.00 (0.97, 1.02) | 0.76 |
| ESR, mm/h | 1.00 (0.98, 1.01) | 0.70 | 0.99 (0.97, 1.01) | 0.20 |
| Smoking | 1.15 (0.50, 2.64) | 0.74 | 1.39 (0.46, 4.22) | 0.56 |
| Hypertension | 1.23 (0.51, 2.99) | 0.64 | 3.17 (0.84, 12.05) | 0.09 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 2.08 (0.27, 15.97) | 0.48 | 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) | 0.99 |
| Coronary artery disease | 1.70 (0.59, 4.93) | 0.33 | 3.00 (0.74, 12.16) | 0.13 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 1.60 (0.65, 3.94) | 0.31 | 1.61 (0.41, 6.37) | 0.50 |
HR = Hazard ratio; CI = confidence interval; TAB = temporal artery biopsy; WBC = white blood cell count; ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate
*adjusted for age, sex and calendar year of GCA diagnosis