Table 2.

Time-varying covariates. Means ± SD at baseline and change after 2-years follow-up in untreated and treated MS groups

	Untreated n. 77		IFN-β treated n.41		p-value*
Time-varying covariates	Baseline	Change	Baseline	Change	Baseline	Change
Relapse rate**	0.2 ± 0.3	0.0 ± 0.4	0.7 ± 0.5	-0.1 ± 0.6	<0.0001	0.37
EDSS	3.1 ± 1.7	0.4 ± 0.8	3.0 ± 1.8	0.4 ± 1.1	0.84	0.93
BDI	9.5 ± 7.7	1.3 ± 10.3	10.8 ± 9.2	2.2 ± 9.8	0.57	0.88
FSS	2.5 ± 1.8	1.1 ± 1.7	2.8 ± 1.9	1.2 ± 1.8	0.53	0.75
MMSE-c	28.5 ± 2.0	-0.6 ± 2.4	28.1 ± 3.7	-0.5 ± 2.5	0.78	0.70
MSQoL-54 Measures
Physical health composite score	65.5 ± 21.4	-5.5 ± 17.2	65.1 ± 22.3	-9.1 ± 18.9	0.91	0.45
Mental health composite score	69.1 ± 19.8	1.2 ± 20.2	71.6 ± 18.2	-12.1 ± 19.1	0.54	0.006
Physical function	67.7 ± 35.8	-2.3 ± 14.7	69.5 ± 35.4	-8.8 ± 19.1	0.80	0.13
Health perceptions	47.5 ± 23.4	-3.0 ± 23.1	48.7 ± 22.7	-6.0 ± 26.9	0.76	0.64
Energy	47.7 ± 22.6	1.1 ± 23.0	47.0 ± 23.0	-1.2 ± 23.0	0.91	0.57
Role limitation-physical	67.6 ± 43.5	-4.6 ± 42.9	65.2 ± 40.7	-14.3 ± 41.8	0.48	0.52
Bodily pain	79.7 ± 25.7	-8.7 ± 30.9	74.0 ± 29.7	-8.1 ± 28.6	0.39	0.41
Sexual function	83.1 ± 26.6	-6.0 ± 35.6	81.5 ± 27.0	-12.0 ± 36.5	0.67	0.62
Social function	74.2 ± 23.3	-5.8 ± 23.4	74.4 ± 21.3	-10.0 ± 21.5	0.87	0.49
Health distress	70.8 ± 23.0	-2.0 ± 31.6	71.9 ± 20.4	-13.3 ± 24.0	0.98	0.06
Overall quality of life	67.5 ± 19.0	-1.0 ± 22.3	64.4 ± 18.8	-8.6 ± 24.3	0.46	0.17
Cognitive function	78.6 ± 20.6	-0.4 ± 23.0	82.4 ± 20.6	-12.2 ± 23.9	0.31	0.06
Emotional well-being	57.1 ± 22.8	5.4 ± 43.2	59.5 ± 16.7	-21.6 ± 42.5	0.65	0.014
Role limitation- emotional	70.6 ± 43.3	0.4 ± 27.2	78.9 ± 36.3	-6.4 ± 21.0	0.37	0.22
Satisfation with sexual function	60.4 ± 26.7	2.0 ± 34.9	54.3 ± 30.6	-3.7 ± 37.0	0.33	0.40
Change in health	47.1 ± 19.9	0.5 ± 21.3	50.6 ± 22.7	4.6 ± 35.5	0.43	0.36

*p-values refer to t-test between treated and untreated groups at baseline and after 2 years follow-up.

**Relapse rate was evaluated in the 2-years preceding study entry (baseline)and after 2 years of follow-up (change)