Treat to Target: A Valid Concept for Management of Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis?

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) are common inflammatory diseases of the elderly. They have variable clinical courses and are usually treated with glucocorticoids (GCs). Relapses are frequent in both conditions. Physicians should balance the tradeoff of treatment-related adverse events and risk of relapse. The ultimate goal of treatment is control of the disease while maintaining patient well-being. A treat-to-target approach may achieve the aim of controlling inflammation and preserving patient's functioning and quality of life, and would require pursuit and evaluation of clinical, laboratory, imaging, and structural targets to tackle the different manifestations of GCA and PMR.