Basic characteristics of the study population.
| Characteristics | GCA, n = 7294 | Controls, n = 33,688 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs, mean ± SD; median | 72.4 ± 9.9; 73.16 | 71.9 ± 9.9; 72.7 | < 0.05 |
| Duration of followup, yrs, mean ± SD; median | 7.09 ± 4.41; 6.58 | 7.19 ± 4.5; 6.71 | < 0.001 |
| Female sex | 5401 (69.1) | 23,379 (69.4) | NS |
| SESa | NS | ||
| Low | 2395 (33.1) | 11,091 (33.2) | |
| Medium | 3085 (42.6) | 14,357 (42.9) | |
| High | 1755 (24.3) | 7986 (23.9) | |
| Smoker | 1801 (24.7) | 7253 (21.5) | < 0.001 |
| Diabetes | 2154 (29.5) | 8798 (26.1) | < 0.001 |
| Hypertension | 4626 (63.4) | 19,691 (58.5) | < 0.001 |
| Dyslipidemia | 4921 (67.5) | 20,579 (61.1) | < 0.001 |
Data are n (%) unless otherwise indicated.
↵a Available for 99.2% of data. GCA: giant cell arteritis; NS: not significant; SES: socioeconomic status.