Table 2.

Baseline demographic characteristics, medication and comorbidities of GCA patients by COVID-19 severity

Characteristics, medication and comorbidities	Mild COVID-19 44 episodes (77.2%)	Severe COVID-19 13 episodes (22.8%)	p-value
Female	31 (73.8%)	9 (69.2%)	0.734
Age, years	75.6 (68.8; 82.3)	82.9 (78.4; 84.8)	0.084
GCA duration, years	4.0 (2.5; 5.8)	3.3 (2.6; 5.5)	0.726
Large vessel vasculitis	17 (40.5%)	3 (23.1%)	0.333
Medication
No treatment	19 (43.2%)	5 (38.5%)	1.000
Glucocorticoids	12 (27.3%)	7 (53.9%)	0.099
Prednisolone 1–5 mg/day	11 (25.0%)	5 (38.5%)	0.483
Prednisolone 6–9 mg/day	1 (2.3%)	0	1.000
Prednisolone ≥ 10 mg/day	1 (2.3%)	1 (7.7%)	0.407
Leflunomide	15 (34.1%)	4 (30.8%)	1.000
Leflunomide 10 mg/day	13 (29.6%)	2 (15.4%)	0.478
Leflunomide 20 mg/day	2 (4.6%)	2 (15.4%)	0.221
Methotrexate	0	0
Ustekinumab	1 (2.3%)	0	1.000
Tocilizumab	0	0
Therapeutic schemes
Glucocorticoid monotherapy	9 (20.5%)	4 (30.8%)	0.466
Leflunomide monotherapy	12 (27.3%)	1 (7.7%)	0.259
Glucocorticoid + leflunomide	3 (6.8%)	3 (23.1%)	0.125
Ustekinumab monotherapy	1 (2.3%)	0	1.000
Number of comorbidities
0	9 (20.5%)	0	0.101
1	16 (36.4%)	4 (30.8%)	1.000
≥ 2	19 (43.2%)	9 (69.2%)	0.123
Comorbidities
Hypertension	25 (56.8%)	12 (92,3%)	0.022
Cardiovascular disease*	10 (22.7%)	7 (53.8%)	0.043
Diabetes	11 (25.0%)	4 (30.8%)	0.727
Chronic kidney disease	5 (11.4%)	2 (15.4%)	0.653
Lung disease†	11 (25.0%)	5 (38.5%)	0.483
Body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2	5 (11.4%)	5 (38.5%)	0.038

Data are median (IQR) or n (%). *Includes coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease and aortic atherosclerosis. †Includes interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma or other lung diseases