Characteristics of 40 patients with GCA-related stroke and 200 control patients. Values are n (%) or median (range) unless otherwise specified.
| Characteristics | Patients with Stroke, n = 40 | Control, n = 200 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Female/male, n | 21/19 | 127/73 | 0.19 |
| Age, yrs | 78 (60–91) | 74 (50–94) | 0.03 |
| CV risk factors | |||
| Current smoker | 13 (33) | 42/188 (22) | 0.17 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 8 (20) | 26/198 (13) | 0.26 |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 12 (30) | 51/198 (26) | 0.58 |
| Hypertension | 27 (68) | 115/198 (58) | 0.27 |
| Coronary disease | 6 (15) | 22/198 (11) | 0.49 |
| ≥ 2 CV risk factors | 18 (44) | 71 (36) | 0.26 |
| Anti-aggregation before GCA diagnosis | 13 (33) | 72 (36) | 0.67 |
| GCA characteristics | |||
| Fever | 10 (25) | 53 (27) | 0.44 |
| Headaches | 29 (73) | 161 (81) | 0.29 |
| Abnormal temporal artery on physical examination | 21 (53) | 62/140 (44) | 0.36 |
| Scalp tenderness | 16 (40) | 65/143 (45) | 0.54 |
| Jaw claudication | 14 (35) | 60/146 (41) | 0.49 |
| Ophthalmic ischemic symptoms | 25 (63) | 50 (25) | < 0.001 |
| Polymyalgia rheumatica | 8 (20) | 76/198 (38) | 0.03 |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, mm* | 68 (10–119) | 80 (10–140) | 0.003 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/l | 61 (28–185) | 99 (6–400) | 0.04 |
| Fibrinogen, g/l | 6 (4.5–9.77) | 6.70 (3.70–11.46) | 0.23 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dl | 12 (9.4–16.1) | 11.1 (7.8–15.8) | 0.02 |
| Anemia | 22/37 (59) | 137/167 (79) | 0.03 |
| Platelets, g/mm3 | 383 (99–957) | 396 (126–913) | 0.69 |
| Positive temporal artery biopsy | 33 (83) | 134 (67) | 0.17 |
↵* Data available in 228 patients. GCA: giant cell arteritis; CV: cardiovascular.