ArticleRMD open2017
Modified-release prednisone for polymyalgia rheumatica: a multicentre, randomised, active-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group study.
Article in RMD open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The 2026 British Society for Rheumatology guideline for the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Guideline
- Evidence on treat to target strategies in polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis: a systematic literature review.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2024Pooled it
- [S3 guidelines on treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica : Evidence-based guidelines of the German Society of Rheumatology (DGRh), the Austrian Society of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation (ÖGR) and the Swiss Society of Rheumatology (SGT) and participating medical scientific specialist societies and other organizations].Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie · 2018Guideline
- A systematic literature review to inform the 2025 EULAR recommendations for the management of polymyalgia rheumatica and primary large vessel vasculitis: management of disease including relapse and complications.EULAR rheumatology open · 2026Review
- Frailty phenotypes and determinants of glucocorticoid-related adverse events in polymyalgia rheumatica at 12 months: a real-life single-center investigation.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Article
- Traditional and Emerging Strategies for Managing Polymyalgia Rheumatica: Insights into New Treatments.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- The dichotomy of glucocorticosteroid treatment in immune-inflammatory rheumatic diseases: an evidence-based perspective and insights from clinical practice.Reumatologia · 2023Review
- The Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Antagonists (Anti TNF-α) in Personalized Treatment of Patients with Isolated Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): Past and Possible Future Scenarios.Journal of personalized medicine · 2022Article
- Effects of dexamethasone and gamma globulin combined with prednisone on the therapeutic effect and immune function of Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis in children.Journal of clinical laboratory analysis · 2021Article
- [Treatment of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica].Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie · 2020Article
- Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Management of Polymyalgia Rheumatica.Drugs & aging · 2019Review
- Switching From Immediate-Release to Delayed-Release Prednisone in Moderate to Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Practice-Based Clinical Study.Rheumatology and therapy · 2017Article
- Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: current challenges and opportunities.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the efficacy and safety of modified-release (MR) versus immediate-release (IR) prednisone in newly diagnosed glucocorticoid (GC)-naïve patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).
methodsPatients were randomised to double-blind MR prednisone (taken at approximately 22:00) or IR prednisone (taken in the morning), 15 mg/day for 4 weeks. The primary end point was complete response rate (≥70% reduction in PMR visual analogue scale, duration of morning stiffness and C reactive protein (CRP) (or CRP <2× upper limit of normal (ULN))) at week 4. Non-inferiority was decided if the lower 95% confidence limit (MR vs IR prednisone) was above -15%. 400 patients were planned but only 62 were enrolled due to difficulties in recruiting GC-naïve patients with PMR with CRP ≥2×ULN.
resultsThe percentage of complete responders at week 4 was numerically greater for MR prednisone (53.8%) than for IR prednisone (40.9%). Non-inferiority of MR versus IR prednisone was not proven in the primary analysis on the per protocol population (N=48; treatment difference: 12.22%; 95% CI -15.82% to 40.25%). However, sensitivity analysis on the full analysis population showed an evident trend favouring MR prednisone (N=62; treatment difference: 15.56%; 95% CI -9.16% to 40.28%). Adverse events were generally mild and transient with no unexpected safety observations.
conclusionsThe study showed a clear trend for favourable short-term efficacy of MR prednisone versus IR prednisone in early treatment of PMR. Further studies are warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: EudraCT number 2011-002353-57; Results.
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