Table 1 Characteristics and primary causes of death.
| MSA (n = 21) | PD (n = 21) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | 10M/11F | 10M/11F |
| Mean (SD) age at disease onset (years) | 59.4 (10.1) | 59.9 (8.9) |
| Mean (SD) disease duration (years)* | 8.5 (4.7) | 13.4 (8.2) |
| MSA type at presentation (%) | ||
| MSA‐P | 16 (76.2) | |
| MSA‐C | 5 (23.8) | |
| Permanent balloon (Foley) catheters (%)† | 15 (71.4) | 7 (33.3) |
| Percutaneous gastrostomy (%) | 8 (38.1) | 3 (14.3) |
| Tracheostomy (%) | 2 (9.5) | None |
| Sudden death (%)‡ | 8 (38.1) | 3 (14.3) |
| Cause of death (%) | ||
| Cardiopulmonary arrest | 7 (33.3) | 1 (4.8) |
| Urinary tract infection | 5 (23.8) | None |
| Aspiration pneumonia | 2 (9.5) | None |
| Infectious pneumonia | 2 (9.5) | 7 (33.3) |
| Acute aspiration | 1 (4.8) | 1 (4.8) |
| Wasting syndrome | 3 (14.3) | 1 (4.8) |
| Cerebrovascular accident | None | 3 (14.3) |
| Myocardial infarction | None | 2 (9.5) |
| Cancer | None | 2 (9.5) |
| Other | 1 (4.8) | 1 (4.8) |
F, female; M, male; MSA, multiple system atrophy; MSA‐C, MSA with a clinical predominance of cerebellar symptoms; MSA‐P; MSA with a clinical predominance of parkinsonism; PD, Parkinson's disease.
Results in the comparisons between MSA and PD groups were significant for *p = 0.02, †p = 0.03 and ‡p = 0.02.