TABLE 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Participants (N = 516)
| Characteristic | Cohort |
|---|---|
| Age, mean yr (SD) | 42.6 (9.8) |
| Female sex, n (%) | 354 (68.6) |
| Disease duration, median yr (range) | 6 (0–45) |
| Smoking status, n (%) | |
| Current | 64 (12.4) |
| Former | 157 (30.5) |
| Never | 295 (57.2) |
| MS subtype, n (%) | |
| RR MS | 367 (71.1) |
| CIS | 80 (15.5) |
| SP MS | 47 (9.1) |
| PP MS | 17 (3.3) |
| PR MS | 4 (0.8) |
| Unclear | 1 (0.2) |
| DMTa before baseline, n (%) | |
| Untreated | 151 (29.3) |
| Platform | 331 (64.2) |
| High potency | 6 (1.2) |
| Platform plus high potency | 28 (5.4) |
| Leukocyte telomere length, mean T/S ratio (SD) | 0.97 (0.18) |
| EDSS, median (range) | 1.5 (0.0–7.0) |
| Total brain volume, mean mm3 (SD) | 1,506.8 (90.8) |
a
Platform therapy: interferon-betas, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, methotrexate, intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids. High-potency therapy: fingolimod, dimethyl fumarate, natalizumab, rituximab, ocrelizumab, alemtuzumab, mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide.
CIS = clinically isolated syndrome; DMT = disease-modifying therapy; EDSS = Expanded Disability Status Scale; MS = multiple sclerosis; PP = primary progressive; PR = progressive relapsing; RR = relapsing–remitting; SD = standard deviation; SP = secondary progressive; T/S = telomere to somatic DNA.