Treat-to-target Prednisolon Taper in Patients With Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Polymyalgia Rheumatica
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Patients newly diagnosed with PMR according to the EULAR criteria for PMR. No sign of GCA on ultrasonography of the temporal and axillary arteries. Age over 50 years. Danish spoken and written language skills sufficient to fill out questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: Peroral, intraarticular or intramuscular application of glucocorticoids within the last month. Previous prednisolone treatment for GCA/PMR. Unable to give consent. Symptoms of GCA (newly onset-headache, tenderness of the temporal artery, jaw claudication, vision disturbances). Active malignant cancers within the last 5 years (except basal cell carcinoma). Other inflammatory rheumatic diseases (eg. rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritits, gout). Uncontrolled diseases (eg severe active asthma, cardiac disease with NYHA class IV)
Sites / Locations
- Aalborg University Hospital
- Aarhus University Hospital, Department of RheumatologyRecruiting
- Esbjerg Regional Hospital
- Gødstrup Regional HospitalRecruiting
- Hjørring Regional Hospital
- Horsens Regional HospitalRecruiting
- Randers Regional HospitalRecruiting
- Silkeborg Regional HospitalRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Active Comparator
Placebo Comparator
Treat-to-target Prednisolone Taper
Usual Care
Patients randomized to the "Treat-to-target" group is prescribed with a systematic prednisolone taper according to a specific scheme. The starting dose can be increased if remission is not reached initially or in case of relapse, folloved by taper according to the specific scheme. A nurse will make a minimum of 5 phone consultations the first year, and hereafter minimum every 3 months.
Patients randomized to "usual care" are dismissed from the hospital after the diagnosis and the prednisolone taper are subsequently performed by discretion of the patient's general practitioner.