VPPRN Patient-Powered Research
Giant Cell (Temporal) Arteritis (GCA)
Every 6 months, we ask our VPPRN community to check-in and tell us how they are doing. The graphs below reflect the scores/ratings of patients with giant cell (temporal) arteritis (GCA) compared to the Network as a whole. Here is what we learned about flares, fatigue, pain, symptoms of vasculitis, and members’ current state of vasculitis at the January 2026 check-in:
- Compared to patients with other forms of vasculitis, patients with GCA reported the following:
- similar percentage of flares reported
- similar scores for fatigue
- higher percentage of patients with GCA reporting no symptoms over the past 28 days
- similar scores for pain
- a similar percentage of patients with GCA reported their vasculitis as currently active.
- Compared to patients with other forms of vasculitis, patients with GCA reported the following:
If you have concerns about your health scores, please discuss with your rheumatologist or primary care provider.
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FLARES and VASCULITIS
Flare Reporting: Patients with GCA reported flare rates similar to those seen across the VPPRN community. At the January 2026 check-in, 69% of patients with GCA reported no flares in the past 6 months, compared with 72% of participants across the overall Network.
Patients with GCA
Entire VPPRN Community
FATIGUE and VASCULITIS
Fatigue: Fatigue was common among patients with GCA, with rates similar to the broader VPPRN community. At the January 2026 check-in, 84% reported experiencing some fatigue in the past 7 days, compared with 87% across the Network.
Patients with GCA
Entire VPPRN Community
SYMPTOMS of VASCULITIS
Symptoms of Vasculitis: At the January 2026 check-in, patients with GCA scored their symptoms of vasculitis lower over the past 28 days. 33% of patients with GCA reported no symptoms of vasculitis, compared to 23% in the VPPRN community.
Patients with GCA
Entire VPPRN Community
PAIN and VASCULITIS
Pain: Patients with GCA reported pain levels similar to those seen across the VPPRN community. At the January 2026 check-in, 30% of patients with GCA reported no pain (score = 0) on average. This is similar to the 28% who reported no pain in the Network.
Patients with GCA
Entire VPPRN Community
MEMBERS' CURRENT STATE OF VASCULITIS
Members’ Current State of Vasculitis: Patients with GCA reported active disease at rates similar to the overall VPPRN community. At the January 2026 check-in, 23% reported their vasculitis as active, compared with 21% of participants across the Network.
Patients with GCA
Entire VPPRN Community
