Temporal Arteritis and Who It Affects

When considering temporal arteritis and who it affects, the people at greatest risk are white women over the age of 50. In addition, about half of the people affected by this disorder also have polymyalgia rheumatica; it is unclear how or why these two disorders are related.

A Summary of Temporal Arteritis and Who It Affects

White women over the age of 50 are most at risk of developing temporal arteritis. Women are twice as likely as men to develop this condition.
 
Temporal arteritis almost exclusively affects people over the age of 50. The average age at onset is 70 years.
 
Temporal arteritis is quite common. In the United States, an estimated 200 out of every 100,000 people over the age of 50 develop this disorder.
 

Temporal Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica

It is unclear how or why temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) are related, but about half of the people affected by temporal arteritis also have polymyalgia rheumatica.
 
An estimated 15 percent of people in the United States with polymyalgia rheumatica also develop temporal arteritis. Patients can develop temporal arteritis either at the same time as polymyalgia rheumatica or after the polymyalgia symptoms disappear.
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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