Impact of corticosteroid use on quality of life of people over 65 years of age with giant cell arteritis and/or polymyalgia rheumatica.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of long-term corticosteroid therapy on quality of life (QoL) in patients aged ≥65 years diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and/or polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 50 patients aged ≥65 years with GCA and/or PMR receiving corticosteroid treatment for more than six months at the main hospital in Zaragoza, Spain. Recruitment and data collection took place between February and June 2025. Data on current and cumulative glucocorticoid doses, clinical characteristics, and medical history were collected. Participants completed the validated Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire to assess QoL and the PREDIMED questionnaire to evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean diet. RESULTS: Neither current nor cumulative glucocorticoid doses were associated with significant differences across the assessed QoL dimensions (Spearman's r = -0.172 to 0.199; p = 0.167-0.966). Similarly, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was not associated with improved QoL outcomes (all p > 0.05). Corticosteroid treatment was associated with the absence of worsening gastrointestinal symptoms (p = 0.035) but with an increased risk of high blood pressure (HBP) (p = 0.038). In addition, longer corticosteroid treatment was associated with better perceived mental health (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: In this cohort of older adults with GCA and/or PMR, prolonged corticosteroid therapy was not associated with poorer digestive health or overall QoL but was associated with an increased risk of HBP. Longer treatment duration was also linked to better perceived mental health, suggesting a favourable balance between disease control and patient-reported outcomes despite treatment-related risks.