Divide between GCA and PMR

[prunus]

Yesterday I attended a lively meeting of my local group. Up 'til now statistics have always indicated many more with PMR than GCA. However yesterday the numbers were almost equal. A few years ago my Consultant indicated that she saw many people with GCA when I asked. Has anyone else come across any experience of this?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The consultant comment is probably because many PMR patients never see a consultant and are possibly less likely to be told about support options.

Mind you - I have heard of doctors who claimed to have seen "hundreds" of patients with GCA. And that just isn't likely. However - a consultant with an interest in GCA is likely to see more of the referred cases than the one on the team who has a particular interest in lupus.

[piglette]

75% of people with PMR never see a rheumatologist, so your consultant will only be seeing 25% of the people with PMR, but in fact there are a lot more than she thinks. I would have thought oeople with GCA and probkem PMR are more likely to join a group, but I may be wrong.

[PhilFreeToAsk in reply to piglette]

Looking at stats is not easy with so many variations. We know that the NHS is on its knees and unable to provide the service of even a few years ago. Comparisons can be difficult. So number seen by consultants maybe proportionally down, possibly only seeing those the GP refers as serious cases. That in itself can skew the consultants view.

Do you know if there are any reliable overall stats rather than informed opinions?

[piglette in reply to PhilFreeToAsk]

PMR patients do not need to go to secondary care normally, it is only in abnormal cases such as very young, odd problems, problems reducing etc. I don’t think the NHS situation will make much difference to the 25% requiring secondary care apart from patients having to wait longer to see a rheumatologist, which is very apparent. The medical recommendations on who should be referred have not changed particularly. GPs will not refer if they are told not to and I don’t think that has happened. GCA patients should all be reffered.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PhilFreeToAsk]

There doesn’t seem to be much listed post Dec 2020.

One study states there were more patients through the fast track scheme (UK) for suspected GCA in 2020 than in previous years 2015-2019 - but whether that was because there were more cases or more patients tested or whether it coincided with the first year of Covid-19

Couple of articles here -

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/333...

academic.oup.com/rheumap/ar...

[PhilFreeToAsk in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you for the links. Interesting.