ArticleRheumatology (Oxford, England)2025
Changes to physical function and body composition during the first 2 years of polymyalgia rheumatica.
Article in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Experience of Australian rheumatologists managing polymyalgia rheumatica: results from a national survey.Internal medicine journal · 2026Article
- Treatment strategies in giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: beyond glucocorticoids.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2026Review
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9 authors.
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Abstract
objectivesTo investigate physical function, body composition and frailty in recently diagnosed polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) compared with controls.
methodsIn a prospective cohort study, patients with PMR and age- and sex-matched controls were assessed 3 months after glucocorticoid initiation and 18 months later. Measures included the HAQ-DI, grip strength, gait speed, five times chair stand test, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), maximum limb strength/power, habitual physical activity (by accelerometer) and body composition (by DEXA). Frailty was defined as per Fried's phenotype.
resultsThirty-six participants with PMR and 32 controls were recruited. Participants with PMR had higher HAQ-DI scores (greater disability) than the controls at both visits (mean difference 0.33 [P < 0.001] and 0.39 [P < 0.001]). At follow-up, female participants with PMR performed more poorly in the chair stand test (mean difference 3.27 [95% CI: 0.69, 5.84], P = 0.02), SPPB (mean difference -1.23 [95% CI: -2.01, -0.45], P = 0.003) and gait speed (mean difference -0.24 [95% CI: -0.36, -0.12], P < 0.001) than the controls. Between timepoints, female participants with PMR had greater decline in gait speed than the controls (mean difference -0.13 [95% CI: -0.23, -0.03], P = 0.009). No significant differences for change in body composition were found. Pre-frailty rates were higher in participants with PMR than the controls (71.2% vs 34.4% (odds ratio 4.7 [P = 0.003]) and 60.7% vs 34.4% (odds ratio 2.9 [P = 0.04]) at the initial and follow-up visits, respectively).
conclusionPMR has a lasting impact on physical function, particularly in females. These findings highlight the need for routine physical function assessments and targeted muscle conditioning measures in PMR management.
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