Giant-Cell Arteritis in the Southern United States

Progress in Gerontology: Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Temporal Arteritis

“…However, it should be noted that all comparison studies have relied on medical record review, which leaves open the possibility that some of the reported racial differences may be due to factors other than true disease prevalence, such as differences in access to or quality of medical care 19 . In particular, the very low prevalence of PMR and TA originally reported for Americans of African ancestry 16 , 20 has been revised upward in more recent reports 21 , 22 …”

The Very Low Prevalence of Polymyalgia Rheumatica in Blacks May Be an Artifact

“…Smith et al, 25 in a study of giant cell arteritis involving record review of all hospitals in Shelby County, Tennessee, reported a sevenfold higher incidence in whites than blacks. A more recent study has suggested the prevalence of giant cell arteritis in blacks and whites may be similar 23 . However, it is important to realize that even temporal arteritis can be subtle, and there are suggestions that it is also substantially underdiagnosed.…”