Causes of death in polymyalgia rheumatica. A prospective longitudinal study of 315 cases and matched population controls.
OBJECTIVE
To determine causes of death in patients with pure polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) compared to matched population controls.


METHODS
In a population based study from 1987-1997, 315 patients were diagnosed with PMR. The patients were each randomly assigned four population controls, totally 1,260 controls. The date and causes of death were identified from the data files at Statistics Norway up to the end of 1997.


RESULTS
A total of 65 cases (20.6%) with PMR died compared to 338 (26.8%) among the controls (mortality rate ratio (MRR) = 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.97, p = 0.03). No statistically significant difference was found between patients and controls with regard to mortality from coronary heart disease or stroke (MRR=0.78, 95% CI 0.52-1.18), cancer (MRR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.30-1.17), and other causes (MRR=0.75, 95% CI 0.48-1.17).


CONCLUSIONS
The increased survival found in patients with PMR could not be explained by reduction in any particular cause of death.
Myklebust
Geirmund
G
Department of Rheumatology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. geirmund.myklebust@aassh.no
Wilsgaard
Tom
T
Jacobsen
Bjarne Koster
BK
Gran
Jan Tore
JT
D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate