Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background: Cardiovascular outcomes in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) compared to non-GCA patients remain a significant concern due to the inflammatory nature of GCA and its potential impact on cardiovascular health. We conducted the first meta-analysis of its kind to compare cardiovascular events in the GCA versus non-GCA populations.
Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted on studies comparing cardiovascular outcomes between GCA and non-GCA cohorts. The analysis focused on three outcomes: major cardiovascular events (MACE), cerebrovascular accidents, including stroke or hemorrhage (CVA), and myocardial infarction (MI). The studies provided odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to quantify the association between GCA and cardiovascular events.
Results: This meta-analysis compared cardiovascular outcomes between patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and non-GCA patients across several studies, including a total population of 30,672 participants. The results indicated that GCA patients have a significantly higher risk of composite cardiovascular events, with a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.44 (95% CI: 1.10-1.89, p = 0.008), despite significant heterogeneity (I2 = 77%). Additionally, GCA patients were found to have a higher risk of cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) with an OR of 1.27 (95% CI: 1.08-1.48, p = 0.004), showing consistent results across studies (I2 = 0%). For myocardial infarction (MI), GCA patients also faced a higher risk, with a pooled OR of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.09-2.25, p = 0.02), although there was considerable variability in the study results (I2 = 82%). (Figures 1, 2, and 3).
Conclusion: GCA patients are at higher risk for composite cardiovascular outcomes and CVAs compared to non-GCA patients, but there is no significant difference in MI risk. The variability in study results indicates a need for further research to confirm these findings and understand the underlying mechanisms.