Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is managed with a structured, evidence-based first-line approach. The protocol below defines both the treatment class used and the clinical remission targets that guide monitoring and response assessment.
The standard treatment for polymyalgia rheumatica is glucocorticoid-based. The complete regimen — including the specific agent, dosing strategy, tapering schedule, and duration — is available in the full protocol.
The defined goal is remission: complete absence of clinical symptoms together with normalisation of acute phase reactants — particularly ESR and CRP. Disease activity should be monitored regularly until remission is achieved, then at extended intervals during stable maintenance.
DOI: 10.1136/ard-2022-223429
Glucocorticoids (GC) are the standard treatment for GCA and PMR.
The treatment target of GCA and PMR should be remission; remission is the absence of clinical symptoms and systemic inflammation.
They most commonly include the absence of clinical symptoms related to GCA and/or PMR and the normalisation of acute phase reactants, particularly ESR and CRP.
Disease activity in GCA and PMR should be monitored regularly, as frequently as every 1–4 weeks until remission has been achieved, and at longer monitoring intervals (eg, between 3 and 6 months) in patients in stable remission on therapy; monitoring of patients off therapy should be discussed on an individual basis.
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