几项人群研究显示,女性的发病率是男性的 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[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[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[16]Nordborg E, Bengtsson BA. Epidemiology of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA). J Intern Med[ 1990;227:233-236.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2324677?tool=bestpractice.com[17]Baldursson O, Steinsson K, Bjornsson J, et al. Giant cell arteritis in Iceland. An epidemiologic and histopathologic analysis. Arthritis Rheum. 1994;37:1007-1012.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8024610?tool=bestpractice.com 尚不清楚引起这种差异的机制,但可能与激素相关。在最近的一项病例对照研究中发现,绝经早会增加发病风险(比值比 3.5)。[18]Larsson K, Mellstrom D, Nordborg E, et al. Early menopause, low body mass index, and smoking are independent risk factors for developing giant cell arteritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:529-532.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16126796?tool=bestpractice.com