求翻译：Background: Pre-existing atherosclerosis or hypertension have been identified as potential risk factors for ischaemic complications in GCA. Smoking may be a GCA susceptibility risk factor, yet UK primary care-based data suggest that GCA is commoner in more affluent parts of the country. Area level socioeconomic deprivation is known to be a powerful predictor of carotid atherosclerosis, independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking or hypertension. Previous studies of GCA have not controlled for this potential confounder.是什么意思？

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