Table 1.
Clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of the study patientsa
| Variable | Patients with MS |
|---|---|
| (n = 1462) | |
| Male, n (%) | 430 (29.4) |
| Female, n (%) | 1032 (70.6) |
| Age, years, mean ± SD (range) | |
| At the prevalence day | 43.3 ± 11.9 (18–78) |
| At disease onset | 29.8 ± 8.6 (16–56) |
| Initial signs at onset, n (%) | |
| Pyramidal | 365 (25.1) |
| Sensory | 161 (10.8) |
| Visual | 251 (17.2) |
| Brainstem | 115 (7.9) |
| Cerebellar | 74 (5.1) |
| Spinal cord | 65 (4.4) |
| Polysymptomatic | 432 (29.5) |
| Disease course subtypes, n (%) | |
| Relapsing remitting | 997 (68.2) |
| Secondary progressive | 317 (21.7) |
| Primary progressive | 148 (10.1) |
| Treatment during the follow-up period, n (%)b | 341 (23.3) |
| Interferon beta | 227 (15.5) |
| Glatiramer acetate | 79 (5.4) |
| Selective immunosuppressants (natalizumab and fingolimod) | 35 (2.4) |
| Educational level, n (%) | |
| Higher | 212 (14.5) |
| Secondary | 763 (52.2) |
| Elementary | 487 (33.3) |
aSummary statistics are mean ± standard deviation
bTreatment data were collected at the final study visit (31 December 2014)
MS multiple sclerosis