该疾病主要发生于 50 岁或以上的人群。发病率在 50 岁以后稳步上升,在 70-80 岁之间最高。[5]Salvarani C, Cantini F, Boiardi L, et al. Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant-cell arteritis. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:261-271.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12140303?tool=bestpractice.com女性发病率是男性的 2-4 倍。[6]Salvarani C, Gabriel SE, O'Fallon WM, et al. The incidence of giant cell arteritis in Olmsted County, Minnesota: apparent fluctuations in a cyclic pattern. Ann Intern Med. 1995;123:192-194.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7598301?tool=bestpractice.com
巨细胞动脉炎 (GCA) 的发病率存在种族和地域差异。在美国,最常见于斯堪的纳维亚白人后裔,而罕见于黑人。在明尼苏达州奥姆斯特德县,50 岁或以上的人群中,平均年发病率为每 100,000 人中约 19 例。[7]Kermani TA, Schäfer VS, Crowson CS, et al. Increase in age at onset of giant cell arteritis: a population-based study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010;69:780-781.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19854712?tool=bestpractice.com这与北欧的报道相似。相比之下,南欧的发病率较低。西班牙研究者的报告称发病率为每 100,000 人中有 10.2 例,[8]Gonzalez-Gay MA, Garcia-Porrua C, Rivas MJ, et al. Epidemiology of biopsy proven giant cell arteritis in northwestern Spain: trend over an 18 year period. Ann Rheum Dis. 2001;60:367-371.http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1753598&blobtype=pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11247867?tool=bestpractice.com而意大利北部巨细胞动脉炎的发病率为每 100,000 人中有 6.9 例。[9]Salvarani C, Macchioni P, Zizzi F, et al. Epidemiologic and immunogenetic aspects of polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis in northern Italy. Arthritis Rheum. 1991;34:351-356.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2003856?tool=bestpractice.com
尽管在 1950-1979 年间,奥姆斯特德县的 GCA 发病率有所增加,但在随后的 25 年期间,发病率一直保持稳定。[7]Kermani TA, Schäfer VS, Crowson CS, et al. Increase in age at onset of giant cell arteritis: a population-based study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010;69:780-781.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19854712?tool=bestpractice.com[10]Salvarani C, Crowson CS, O'Fallon WM, et al. Reappraisal of the epidemiology of giant cell arteritis in Olmsted County, Minnesota, over a fifty-year period. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;51:264-268.http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/107640557/PDFSTARThttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15077270?tool=bestpractice.com