Organ Damage and Quality of Life in Takayasu Arteritis ― Evidence From a National Registry Analysis ―

Abstract

Background: Takayasu arteritis, affecting primarily young women, damages large arteries and organs. We examined the impact of disease duration and sex on organ damage and quality of life using Japan’s Intractable Disease Registry. Methods and Results: After refining data, 2,013 of 2,795 patients were included in the study. Longer disease duration was related to a lower prevalence of disease activity symptoms, a higher prevalence of organ damage, and a higher proportion of patients requiring nursing care. Compared with men, women tended to have an earlier onset age, exhibiting longer disease duration. A higher proportion of women had aortic regurgitation and required nursing care. The proportion of female patients in employment was lower than that of the general female population, whereas no difference was observed between male patients and the general male population. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age at surveillance, brain ischemia, visual impairment/loss, and ischemic heart disease were significant factors associated with high nursing care needs (Level ≥2, with daily activity limitations). Conclusions: Early diagnosis and effective treatment, particularly to prevent brain ischemia, visual impairment, and ischemic heart disease, may improve the quality of life of patients with Takayasu arteritis, especially women.