Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of study populations.
| ALS | controls | |
|---|---|---|
| Total number (n) | 73 | 48 |
| Sex m/f (%) | 42.50/57.50 | 52.10/47.90 |
| Age in years ± SD | 66.65 ± 9.41 | 63.40 ± 12.10 |
| Onset b/s (n) | 21/52 | NA |
| Disease duration in years (Range) | 2.48 (0.12–12.02) | NA |
| Body height in m (Range) | 1.69 (1.52–1.88) | NA |
| Weight in kg (Range) | 72.4 (39.0–132.0) | NA |
| BMI (Range) | 25.4 (16.88–40.12) | NA |
| FVC in ml (Range) | 1918 (100–4850) | NA |
| ppFVC in % (Range) | 61.4 (2.53–131.32) | NA |
| ALSFRS-R (Range) | 33 (0–47.0) | NA |
| ALSFRS-R slope (Range) | 0.80 (0.01–3.34) | NA |
| Supportive Care (IV, NIV, PEG) (n) | 17 | 0 |
| IV (n) | 6 | 0 |
| NIV (n) | 10 | 0 |
| PEG (n) | 6 | 0 |
n = number; m/f = male/female; b/s = bulbar/spinal; BMI = body mass index; FVC = forced vital capacity; ppFVC = percentage of predicted FVC; ALSFRS-R = Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale Revised; IV = invasive ventilation; NIV = non-invasive ventilation; PEG = percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy; NA = not applicable.