Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients with giant-cell arteritis over 80 years old who received tocilizumab
Characteristics | Patients (n = 21) |
|---|---|
Demographics | |
Age | 84 [81–90] |
Female sex | 16 (76) |
Past medical history | |
Number of cardiovascular risk factors (except age and sex) | 1 [0–3] |
Hypertension | 11 (52) |
Tobacco use | 2 (10) |
Diabetes mellitus | 4 (19) |
Hypercholesterolemia | 6 (29) |
Overweight | 2 (10) |
Coronary disease | 4 (19) |
Previous stroke | 2 (10) |
Diverticulosis | 2 (10) |
Osteoporotic fractures | 2 (10) |
Myelodysplasia | 1 (5) |
Clinical manifestations | |
ACR criteria | 4 [3–5] |
Weight loss | 15 (71) |
Fever | 5 (24) |
Headaches | 17 (81) |
Jaw claudication | 12 (57) |
Abnormal temporal artery | 7 (33) |
Scalp tenderness | 7 (33) |
Ophthalmologic involvement | 7 (33) |
Polymyalgia rheumatica | 9 (43) |
Limb claudication | 1 (5) |
Laboratory parameters | |
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, in mm | 82 [25–138] |
C-reactive protein, in mg/l | 90 [16–224] |
Hemoglobin level, g/dl | 10.3 [9.2–15.1] |
Positive histology | 11/16 (69) |
Large-vessel vasculitisa | 7/16 (44) |
At GCA diagnosis | 4/13 (31) |
During follow-up | 3/3 (100) |