title: Body mass index and the risk of giant cell arteritis: results from a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine potential risk factors for GCA in a nested case-control study based on two prospective health surveys.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used two population-based health surveys, the Malmö Preventive Medicine Program (MPMP) and the Malmö Diet Cancer Study (MDCS). Individuals who developed GCA after inclusion were identified by linking the MPMP and MDCS databases to several patient administrative registers. A structured review of the medical records of all identified cases was performed. Four controls for every confirmed case, matched for sex, year of birth and year of screening, were selected from the corresponding databases. Potential predictors of GCA were examined in conditional logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-three patients (70% women, 64% biopsy positive, mean age at diagnosis 71 years) had a confirmed diagnosis of GCA after inclusion in the MPMP or MDCS. A higher BMI was associated with a significantly reduced risk of subsequent development of GCA [odds ratio (OR) 0.91/kg/m(2) (95% CI 0.84, 0.98)]. Smoking was not a risk factor for GCA overall [OR 1.36 (95% CI 0.77, 2.57)], although there was a trend towards an increased risk in female smokers [OR 2.14 (95% CI 0.97, 4.68)]. In multivariate analysis, adjusted for smoking and level of formal education, the inverse association between BMI and GCA remained significant (P = 0.027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, GCA was predicted by a lower BMI at baseline. Potential explanations include an effect of reduced adipose tissue on hormonal pathways regulating inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Section of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Department of Rheumatology & Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jakobsson
authors.affiliation: Section of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Department of Rheumatology & Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. Section of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Department of Rheumatology & Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jacobsson
authors.affiliation: Section of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Department of Rheumatology & Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Warrington
authors.affiliation: Section of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Department of Rheumatology & Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Matteson
authors.affiliation: Section of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Department of Rheumatology & Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Section of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Department of Rheumatology & Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Melander
authors.affiliation: Section of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Department of Rheumatology & Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. carl.turesson@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turesson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013548:Sweden; D013851:Thinness / Q000150:complications*
keywords: body mass index; giant cell arteritis; predictors; vasculitis