The PMR Cohort Study
Summary
The PMR Cohort study is an inception cohort of people diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) in UK general practice between 2012 and 2014. They received seven questionnaires over the first 2 years of the study, asking about their PMR symptoms and general health. In 2019, all participants who had not withdrawn consent and whose practices were willing to take part were sent a further questionnaire to understand better the long-term impact of PMR on the lives of people with the condition.
| Chief Investigator: | Professor Christian Mallen |
| Associate Investigator: | Dr Sara Muller |
| Sponsor / reference number: | Keele University / RG-0026-16 |
| Funder / reference number: |
Arthritis Research UK Clinician Scientist Award / 19634 |
| Registration reference number: | N/A |
| Start date: | 2012 / 01/03/2018 |
| End date: | 2014 / 30/11/2021 |
Study design
This is an observational inception cohort study.
Aim and objectives
Original study objectives
- Describe the natural history and prognosis of PMR in primary care.
Follow-up study objectives
- Understand who has a prolonged course of PMR (defined by continued glucocorticoid treatment) and whether this can be predicted from clinical symptoms at diagnosis.
- Understand who experiences significant glucocorticoid related side effects and whether this can be predicted at diagnosis.
- Understand the effect of PMR on long-term quality-of-life and whether it is possible to identify those who will experience a significant deterioration and may benefit from additional interventions
Publications
- The epidemiology of polymyalgia rheumatica in primary care: a research protocol
- Characterising those with incident polymyalgia rheumatica in primary care: results from the PMR Cohort Study
- Patients' views on the causes of their polymyalgia rheumatica: a content analysis of data from the PMR Cohort Study
- Association between characteristics of pain and stiffness and the functional status of patients with incident polymyalgia rheumatica from primary care
- Possible giant cell arteritis symptoms are common in newly diagnosed patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica: results from an incident primary care PMR cohort
- The availability of health information to patients with newly diagnosed polymyalgia rheumatica: results from the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Cohort study
- The association of pain and stiffness with fatigue in incident polymyalgia rheumatica: baseline results from the polymyalgia rheumatica cohort study
- Longitudinal clusters of pain and stiffness in polymyalgia rheumatica: 2-year results from the PMR Cohort Study
- What non-pharmacological treatments do people with polymyalgia rheumatica try: results from the PMR Cohort Study