Adding a newer drug to standard corticosteroid treatment of giant cell arteritis does not help to reduce the\u00a0dose of corticosteroids needed.<\/p>\n
INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n Giant cell arteritis is a condition where the large blood vessels of the head and neck become inflamed. It can\u00a0cause soreness around the temples, pain in the jaw while eating, and (if untreated) sight loss. The main treatment\u00a0for giant cell arteritis is a one- or two-year course of corticosteroid medicine to reduce and control the <\/p>\n However, taking corticosteroids for a long time can cause side effects, including mood changes, increased\u00a0appetite leading to weight gain, and an increased chance of getting infections. For this reason, doctors would\u00a0like to find a way to control giant cell arteritis with lower doses of steroids, for a shorter time. Doctors thought WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS HOPE TO FIND?<\/strong><\/p>\n The researchers wanted to see how much people who took injections of adalimumab could reduce their dose\u00a0of corticosteroid medicine by, while still keeping the inflammation of the blood vessels under control.<\/p>\n WHO WAS STUDIED?<\/strong><\/p>\n Researchers studied 70 people aged at least 50, with giant cell arteritis, from 23 departments of rheumatology\u00a0or internal medicine in France.<\/p>\n HOW WAS THE STUDY CONDUCTED?<\/strong><\/p>\n People in the study were randomly assigned either to have injections of adalimumab or a placebo (dummy)\u00a0injection every two weeks. All people in the study took corticosteroids, with a starting dose of 0.7 milligrams\u00a0(mg) for every kilogram the person weighed, every day.<\/p>\n Doctors reduced the dose of corticosteroids every two weeks in people who had no clinical symptoms of\u00a0giant cell arteritis, and if their blood tests showed inflammation levels below a certain point. People who had\u00a0no symptoms and blood tests showing low inflammation were said to be \u2018in remission\u2019.\u00a0After 26 weeks (six months), doctors looked to see how many patients were in remission and taking a daily\u00a0corticosteroid dose of less than 0.1 mg for every kilogram the person weighed. They wanted to see if more WHAT DOES THE NEW STUDY SAY?<\/strong><\/p>\n At the end of the study, of the people who had adalimumab, 59 percent were taking the low corticosteroid\u00a0dose and were in remission. Of the people who had a placebo injection, 50 percent were taking the low dose\u00a0and were in remission. Most of the other people in the study needed to take a higher dose of corticosteroids. HOW RELIABLE ARE THE FINDINGS?<\/strong><\/p>\n This was a randomised controlled study, which is one of the best ways to see whether a treatment works. The\u00a0results are likely to be reliable for the dose of corticosteroids and adalimumab used. However, it\u2019s possible that\u00a0different doses or different schedules of injections might have shown a different result.<\/p>\n WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?<\/strong><\/p>\n This trial does not show a clear benefit for patients taking adalimumab in addition to corticosteroids for giant\u00a0cell arteritis. But further studies in this area might have different results, so adalimumab might be found useful\u00a0for some people with this condition in future.<\/p>\n Disclaimer<\/strong>: This is a summary of a scientific article written by a medical professional (\u201cthe Original Article\u201d). The Summary is written to assist non medically trained readers to understand general points of the Original Article. \u00a0It should not be relied on in any way whatsoever<\/span>, (which also means the Summary is not medical advice), and is simply supplied to aid a lay understanding of general points of the Original Article. It is supplied \u201cas is\u201d without any warranty. You should note that the Original Article (and Summary) may not be accurate as errors can occur and also may be out of date as medical science is constantly changing. \u00a0It is very important that readers not rely on the content in the Summary and consult their medical professionals for all aspects of their health care. Do not use this Summary as medical advice even if the Summary is supplied to the reader by a medical professional.<\/strong> Date summary prepared:\u00a0December 2014<\/p>\n Summary based on research article published on:\u00a029 July 2013<\/p>\n From:\u00a0Seror, R. et al.<\/em>\u00a0Adalimumab for steroid sparing in patients with giant-cell arteritis: results of a multicentre randomised controlled trial.\u00a0Ann Rheum Dis<\/em> 2014;73:2074-2081 doi:10.1136\/annrheumdis-2013-203586<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & European League Against Rheumatism. Medical professionals may print copies for their and their patients and students non commercial use. Other individuals may print a single copy for their personal, non commercial use. For other uses please contact our Rights and Licensing<\/a> Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Adding a newer drug to standard corticosteroid treatment of giant cell arteritis does not help to reduce the\u00a0dose of corticosteroids needed. INTRODUCTION Giant cell arteritis is a condition where the large blood vessels of the head and neck become inflamed. It can\u00a0cause soreness around the temples, pain in the jaw while eating, and (if untreated) […]<\/p>\n
\ninflammation in the blood vessels.<\/p>\n
\na drug called adalimumab, which affects the immune system by blocking a substance called tumour necrosis\u00a0factor, might help. Adalimumab is approved and widely used for treatment of inflammatory joint diseases like\u00a0rheumatoid arthritis, anlylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis and also for treatment of psoriasis and\u00a0inflammatory bowel diseases.<\/p>\n
\npeople were able to reduce their dose to this level if they had adalimumab injections.<\/p>\n
\nHowever, because the study was quite small (70 people in total), the researchers said the difference in the\u00a0results between the two groups was small enough that it could have been down to chance.<\/p>\n
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