ArticleRMD open2023
Rapid glucocorticoid tapering regimen in patients with giant cell arteritis: a single centre cohort study.
Article in RMD open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Diagnostic Challenges and Modern Therapeutic Strategies in Giant Cell Arteritis.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Real-World Analysis of Patient Characteristics, Adverse Events, and Economic Burden Among Patients with Giant Cell Arteritis Treated with Glucocorticoids.Rheumatology and therapy · 2025Article
- Risk Factors and Pharmacological Interventions Impacting Cerebrovascular Ischemic Events in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Narrative Review.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2025Review
- Effectiveness of a 26-week glucocorticoid taper in giant cell arteritis treated with tocilizumab in real-world clinical practice: a single-centre cohort study.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesWe evaluated the feasibility of a rapid glucocorticoid tapering regimen to reduce glucocorticoid exposure in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) treated with glucocorticoids only.
methodsNewly diagnosed patients with GCA treated with a planned 26-week glucocorticoid tapering regimen at the University Hospital Basel were included. Data on relapses, cumulative steroid doses (CSD) and therapy-related adverse effects were collected from patients' records.
resultsOf 47 patients (64% women, median age 72 years), 32 patients (68%) had relapsed. Most relapses were minor (28/32) and 2/3 of those were isolated increased inflammatory markers (19/32). Among major relapses, one resulted in permanent vision loss. The median time until relapse was 99 days (IQR 71-127) and median glucocorticoid dose at relapse was 8 mg (IQR 5-16). Nine of 47 patients stopped glucocorticoids after a median duration of 35 weeks and did not relapse within 1 year. Median CSD at 12 months was 4164 mg which is lower compared with published data. Glucocorticoid-associated adverse effects occurred in 40% of patients, most frequently were new onset or worsening hypertension (19%), diabetes (11%) and severe infections (11%).
conclusionWe could demonstrate that 32% of patients remained relapse-free and 19% off glucocorticoids at 1 year after treatment with a rapid glucocorticoid tapering regimen. Most relapses were minor and could be handled with temporarily increased glucocorticoid doses. Consequently, the CSD at 12 months was much lower than reported in published cohorts. Thus, further reducing treatment-associated damage in patients with GCA by decreasing CSD seems to be possible.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.