What You Need to Know About Giant Cell Arteritis Facts On
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What you need to know about Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) Common symptoms of GCA include:1 GCA typically The prevalence affects adults of GCA has been over 50 years estimated at more Symptoms old... than 200 per 100,000 of the head: persons over the age of 50 in the United Headache Scalp Jaw pain Visual States, and increases Giant cell arteritis (GCA), tenderness problems, ...and women are dramatically with age1,2 or temporal arteritis, is a including affected at least debilitating autoimmune disease twice as often1 Other blindness An even higher frequency has been that causes severe inflammation 3 general reported in northern Europe of blood vessels, especially The most commonly affected symptoms: arteries in the head across the populations include Caucasians temples and the aorta1 Fatigue Weight loss Fever and those of Scandinavian descent1 The exact cause of GCA is unknown, however, genetic and environmental factors are likely contributors1 High-dose steroids are Side The discovery often used to treat GCA effects that GCA responds well Steroids but these commonly cause to the anti-inflammatory potentially serious and properties of steroids long-term side effects, including was a major Rapid diagnosis and treatment cataracts, fractures, infections, high breakthrough in the are crucial to prevent the more GCA can be difficult to diagnose because blood pressure, diabetes, bone thinning treatment of GCA more serious complications of GCA, symptoms overlap with many other and bowel bleeding, which can all than half a century ago4,5 such as blindness, strokes conditions, often resulting in a delayed severely impact a person’s quality of life4 and aneurysms1 or incorrect diagnosis1 Great strides are being Current research suggests there is an Increased awareness and The majority of made in increasing increase in IL-6, a protein that plays a early diagnosis can help patients (80%) our understanding of fundamental role in inflammation, in patients minimise the complications 80% will experience GCA, and how to best with GCA6,7 It is thought that blocking IL-6 of GCA, and preserve what steroid-related 4 help people with this could reduce the inflammation of blood matters most to patients: side effects debilitating condition vessels in GCA6 their vision and quality of life 1. Bhat S, et al. Giant cell arteritis. Midlife 2. Lawrence C, et al. Estimates of the 3. Noltorp S, et al. High incidence of 4. Ponte C, et al. Giant cell arteritis: 5. Hamilton CR, et al. Giant cell arteritis: 6. Haruta H, et al. Blockade of 7. Emilie D, et al. Production of interleukin and Beyond, GM. Rheumatology 2010; prevalence of arthritis and selected polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell Current treatment and management. World Including temporal arteritis and interleukin-6 signaling suppresses not only 6 by granulomas of giant cell arteritis. 071-079. musculoskeletal disorders in the United arteritis in a Swedish community. Clin Exp J Clin Cases 2015;3(6):484-94. polymyalgia rheumatica. Medicine Th17 but also interphotoreceptor retinoid Hum Immunol. 1994;39:17-24. States. Arthritis & Rheum 1998;41:778-99. Rheumatol 1991;9:351-5. 1971;50(1):1-27. binding protein-specific Th1 by promoting regulatory T cells in experimental Last updated: May 2019 autoimmune uveoretinitis. Invest Job Code: NP/ACTE/1905/0010 Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52:3264-71..