Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of study patients
| Patients with multiple sclerosis (n = 156) | |
|---|---|
| Male, n (%) | 45 (28.8) |
| Female, n (%) | 111 (71.2) |
| Age, years, mean ± SE | |
| At study entry | 36.95 ± 0.92 |
| At disease onset | 31.97 ± 0.80 |
| At diagnosis | 36.48 ± 0.89 |
| At follow‐up (end of the study) | 39.55 ± 0.91 |
| Clinical form at study entry, n (%) | |
| Relapsing remitting | 115 (73.7) |
| Primary progressive | 17 (10.9) |
| Secondary progressive | 24 (15.4) |
| Pregnancy, n/N (%)a | 13/111 (11.7) |
| Treatment during the follow‐up period, n/N (%)b | 99/156 (63.5) |
| Interferon beta | 67/156 (42.9) |
| Glatiramer acetate | 20/156 (12.8) |
| Selective immunosuppressants (natalizumab and fingolimod) | 10/156 (6.4) |
| Untreated at study endc | 57/156 (36.5) |
| EDSS, mean ± SE (N = 154)d | 3.61 ± 0.19 |
| EDSS <4, n/N (%)d | 88/154 (57.1) |
| EDSS ≥4, n/N (%)d | 66/154 (42.9) |
| Years of monitoring, mean ± SE, N = 154d | 7.55 ± 0.44 |
| Number of visits, mean ± SE, N = 154d | 11.44 ± 0.73 |
| Visits per year, mean ± SE, N = 154d | 2.23 ± 0.17 |
EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; SE, standard error.
a
Cumulative incidence of pregnancies over the 20‐year study period in 111 women.
b
Treatment data were collected at the final study visit (31 December 2011).
c
Untreated patients were those with benign forms of the disease who did not meet the criteria for disease‐modifying treatments.
d
Two patients were excluded from the analysis of disability because data were not available for these patients.