Background@#To evaluate the
incidence of fractures and fracture
risk factors in Korean
patients with
polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). @*
Methods@#All PMR
patients who visited a
rheumatology clinic at a
tertiary referral hospital between March 2005 and March 2018 were retrospectively assessed. We estimated
bone mineral density (BMD)
screening rate within 6 months of the first visit and classified the
patients according to the performance and results of BMD
screening.
Incidence rates (IRs) of fractures were calculated in each group and
risk factors for fractures were identified using Poisson
regression analysis. @*Results@#A total of 95 PMR
patients with median (interquartile range) age of 64.0 (56.0–72.0) years were included. Baseline BMD was assessed in only 55.8% of these
patients (n = 53); 24
patients with
osteoporosis, 20 with
osteopenia, and 9 with normal BMD. During 433.1
person-years (PYs) of
observation, 17 fractures occurred in 12
patients (IR, 3.93 [95%
confidence interval (CI), 2.46–6.26]/100 PYs); 8.32 (95% CI, 4.09–16.90)/100 PYs in the
osteopenia group, 3.40 (95% CI, 1.30–8.90)/100 PYs in the
osteoporosis group, and 3.37 (95% CI, 1.53–7.39)/100 PYs in the no BMD test group.
Risk factors for fractures were
female sex, advanced age (≥ 65 years), longer follow-up duration, initial
glucocorticoid dose ≥ 10 mg/day, and higher cumulative
glucocorticoid dose over the first 6 months. @*Conclusion@#The
incidence rate of fractures in Korean
patients with PMR was 3.93/100 PYs.
Female sex, advanced age, longer follow-up duration, and increased
glucocorticoid dose are
risk factors for
osteoporotic fracture.