EPIDEMIOLOGY OF POLYMYALGIA-RHEUMATICA IN OLMSTED COUNTY, MINNESOTA, 1970-1991

Objective, To determine the incidence, prevalence, and survival of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) over a 22-year period in Olmsted County, Minnesota, Methods, Using the unified record system at the Mayo Clinic for the Olmsted County population, we reviewed all medical records with a diagnosis of PMR from 1970 through 1991, Results, There were 245 (173 female; 72 male) incidence cases of PMR between 1970 and 1991. The average annual age- and sex-adjusted incidence of PMR per 100,000 population greater than or equal to 50 years was 52.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 45.9-59.2), with a significantly higher incidence in females (61.7; 95% CI 52.3-71.2) than in males (39.9; 95% CI 30.7-49.2), The incidence varied over the period of observation, but no significant trends were found, The prevalence of PMR among persons greater than or equal to 50 years on January 1, 1992 was 6/1,000, There was a small but significantly increased survival rate among male PMR patients compared with the general population, Conclusion, Our data demonstrate that PMR is a common nonfatal disease in the elderly, the incidence and clinical manifestations of which have varied but remained relatively stable over the last 2 decades.