Most people with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) haven't heard of them until diagnosis, but by then it can be too late. Delayed treatment for GCA, can cause permanent sight loss. We're raising awareness so more people recognise the symptoms and get help faster.
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50% of our membership diagnosed with PMR tells us they were not made aware of their increased risk of GCA. As a result they were not aware of the symptoms or what to do. A patient with PMR has a 5-10% increased risk of developing GCA. With that comes a risk (up to 20%) of sight loss. We want to ensure that more people with or without PMR are aware of the symptoms and what they should do including how to determine when it is a medical emergency so that they get the treatment they need.
One of our strategic aims relates to raising awareness of both conditions which is part of our core work. Specifically we want to make sure people who join our charity, visit our website or our social media pages have every opportunity to understand what GCA is, what the symptoms are like, what to do if they think they have GCA and what it's like to experience and live with the condition.