Giant cell arteritis
Meaning of giant cell arteritis: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, giant cell arteritis means a systemic autoimmune vasculitis that involves large and medium-sized arteries and principally affects the cranial branches of the carotid arteries.
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 11 of 2021
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting giant cell arteritis or death from giant cell arteritis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having smoked at least 10 pack-years of tobacco products before the clinical onset of giant cell arteritis, and where smoking has ceased, the clinical onset of giant cell arteritis has occurred within 20 years of cessation;
Note: pack-year of tobacco products is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)having smoked at least 10 pack-years of tobacco products before the clinical worsening of giant cell arteritis, and where smoking has ceased, the clinical worsening of giant cell arteritis has occurred within 20 years of cessation;
Note: pack-year of tobacco products is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for giant cell arteritis;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(2) to 9(3) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 12 of 2021
3 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, giant cell arteritis or death from giant cell arteritis is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having smoked at least 10 pack-years of tobacco products before the clinical onset of giant cell arteritis, and where smoking has ceased, the clinical onset of giant cell arteritis has occurred within 20 years of cessation;
Note: pack-year of tobacco products is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)having smoked at least 10 pack-years of tobacco products before the clinical worsening of giant cell arteritis, and where smoking has ceased, the clinical worsening of giant cell arteritis has occurred within 20 years of cessation;
Note: pack-year of tobacco products is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for giant cell arteritis;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(2) to 9(3) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
