Table I.
Baseline characteristics of the study population.
| Characteristics | Mean (± SD)/nο (%) |
|---|---|
| Age, years | 58.17 (±12.1) |
| 30–39 | 3 (7.3) |
| 40–49 | 9 (22) |
| 50–59 | 7 (17.1) |
| 60–69 | 15 (36.6) |
| 70–79 | 6 (14.6) |
| 80 | 1 (2.4) |
| Disease duration, years | 9.66 (±6.8) |
| Sex | |
| Female | 31 (75.6) |
| Male | 10 (24.4) |
| Female:Male ratio | 3:1 |
| Disease phenotype | |
| dcSSc | 28 (68.3) |
| lcSSc | 13 (31.7) |
| Capillaroscopic pattern | |
| Early | 2 (4.9) |
| Active | 20 (48.8) |
| Late | 19 (46.3) |
| Dyspnea | |
| Present | 23 (56.1) |
| Absent | 18 (43.9) |
| Treatment | |
| Low-dose oral steroids | 6 (14.6) |
| Calcium channel blockers | 27 (65.9) |
| Synthetic DMARDs | |
| Methotrexate | 14 (34.1) |
| Azathioprine | 2 (4.9) |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 8 (19.5) |
| Mycophenolate mofetil | 1 (2.4) |
| VAS-R | 79.15 (±16.2) |
| VAS-DU | 76.83 (±16.04) |
| HAQ-DI | 1.65 (±0.68) |
HAQ-DI, Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability; dcSSc, diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis; lcSSc, limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis; VAS-R, visual analogue scale-Raynaud's; VAS-DU, visual analogue scale-digital ulcers; DMARD, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug.