Table 1. Characteristics of the study cohort at the index date overall and by the initial DMT prescribed.
| Characteristic | Overall (n = 1,471) | GA (n = 906) | IFN-β a (n = 565) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 38.4 (9.3) | 38.6 (9.1) | 38.0 (9.7) | 0.28 c |
| Gender, n (%) | 0.09 d | |||
| Women | 1,108 (75.3) | 696 (76.8) | 412 (72.9) | |
| Men | 363 (24.7) | 210 (23.2) | 153 (27.1) | |
| EDSS b , median (IQR), range | 2.0 (1.5–3.0), 0–8.0 | 2.0 (1.5–3.0), 0–8.0 | 2.0 (1.5–3.5), 0–7.5 | 0.002 e |
| MS Duration (y), mean (SD), range | 6.0 (6.7), 0–48 | 6.2 (6.5), 0–38 | 5.8 (7.8), 0–48 | 0.34 c |
| Initiation Period, n (%) | 0.26 d | |||
| 1996–2000 | 440 (29.9) | 281 (31.0) | 159 (28.1) | |
| 2001–2005 | 546 (37.1) | 322 (35.5) | 224 (39.6) | |
| 2006–2011 | 485 (33.0) | 303 (33.4) | 182 (32.2) |
GA = glatiramer acetate; IFN-β = interferon-beta; EDSS = Expanded Disability Status Scale; y = years.
aIFN-β-1a s.c. (n = 411), IFN-β-1b (n = 120), IFN-β-1a i.m. (n = 34).
bMissing in 6 patients; of 8 patients with EDSS > 6.5 one had a comorbid condition that caused quadriparesis and seven were in the midst of a relapse.
ct-test.
dChi-square test.
eWilcoxon rank-sum test.