Vascular event risk is higher in people with polymyalgia rheumatica

A common inflammatory condition experienced by older adults – polymyalgia rheumatica – has been found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Research already shows that some inflammatory rheumatological disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout) are associated with an increased risk of vascular disease. But evidence has been mixed when it comes to one of the most common inflammatory rheumatological conditions, polymyalgia rheumatic, mainly because studies have been too small or of poor quality.
So UK experts compared a total of 3,249 people with polymyalgia rheumatica to 12,735 people of the same age and gender who didn’t have polymyalgia rheumatica. No participants had a history of vascular disease.
Over the average 7.8 year follow up period, the rate of all vascular diseases (including heart attack, angina, stroke and atherosclerosis) was higher in people with polymyalgia rheumatica than in those without. People particularly at risk were younger than 60 years when diagnosed, and those in the early stages of disease.
The research team concludes:
“As with other forms of inflammatory arthritis, patients with polymyalgia rheumatica should have their vascular risk factors identified and actively managed to reduce this excess risk.”
Classification criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica were released by the American College of Rheumatology in 2012, and state that a person can be categorised with polymyalgia rheumatica if they have:

• Shoulder pain on both sides
• Morning stiffness that lasts at least 45 minutes
• High levels of inflammation measured by protein in blood and erythrocyte sedimentation
• Reported new hip pain
• Absence of swelling in the small joints of the hands and feet, and absence of positive blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis.

To read the original research click here.