Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of participants.
| Participants' gender | Male | Female | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participants' age (years) | ≤55 | % | >55 | % | ≤55 | % | >55 | % |
| n Participants (% of 390) | 88 | 22.56 | 17 | 4.36 | 246 | 63.08 | 39 | 10.00 |
| Disease duration Mean ± SE | 12.6 ± 0.89 | 23.25 ± 3.3 | 13.19 ± 0.65 | 25.06 ± 1.4 | ||||
| Years from diagnosis Mean ± SE | 10.15 ± 0.86 | 17.5 ± 2.33 | 10.76 ± 0.6 | 20.63 ± 1.5 | ||||
| Type of MS n (%) | ||||||||
| Relapsing—remitting | 46 | 11.79 | 6 | 1.54 | 158 | 40.51 | 15 | 3.85 |
| Secondary progressive | 13 | 3.33 | 7 | 1.79 | 27 | 6.92 | 12 | 3.08 |
| Primarily progressive | 10 | 2.56 | 1 | 0.26 | 11 | 2.82 | 3 | 0.77 |
| I don't know/don't answer | 19 | 4.87 | 3 | 0.77 | 50 | 12.82 | 9 | 2.31 |
| Currently receiving DMT n (%) | ||||||||
| Yes | 71 | 18.21 | 10 | 2.56 | 211 | 54.10 | 22 | 5.64 |
| No | 17 | 4.36 | 7 | 1.79 | 29 | 7.44 | 17 | 4.36 |
| Type of current DMT n (%) | ||||||||
| Interferon-β | 18 | 4.62 | 3 | 0.77 | 45 | 11.54 | 5 | 1.28 |
| Glatiramer acetate | 6 | 1.54 | 1 | 0.26 | 25 | 6.41 | 5 | 1.28 |
| Dimethyl fumarate | 20 | 5.13 | 2 | 0.51 | 49 | 12.56 | 5 | 1.28 |
| Teriflunomide | 5 | 1.28 | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | 4.10 | 2 | 0.51 |
| Natalizumab | 3 | 0.77 | 0 | 0.00 | 13 | 3.33 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Fingolimod | 10 | 2.56 | 2 | 0.51 | 44 | 11.28 | 2 | 0.51 |
| Alemtuzumab | 2 | 0.51 | 1 | 0.26 | 2 | 0.51 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Cladribine | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.77 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Anti-CD20 | 3 | 0.77 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 1.54 | 0 | 0.00 |
| I don't know/don't answer | 4 | 1.03 | 1 | 0.26 | 8 | 2.05 | 3 | 0.77 |
| Previously receiving DMT n (%) | ||||||||
| Yes | 47 | 12.05 | 13 | 3.33 | 160 | 41.03 | 21 | 5.38 |
| No | 41 | 10.51 | 4 | 1.03 | 84 | 21.54 | 17 | 4.36 |
| Type of previous DMT n (%) | ||||||||
| Interferon-β | 33 | 8.46 | 12 | 3.08 | 120 | 30.77 | 16 | 4.10 |
| Glatiramer acetate | 12 | 3.08 | 6 | 1.54 | 46 | 11.79 | 8 | 2.05 |
| Dimethyl fumarate | 7 | 1.79 | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | 4.10 | 3 | 0.77 |
| Teriflunomide | 5 | 1.28 | 1 | 0.26 | 13 | 3.33 | 3 | 0.77 |
| Natalizumab | 4 | 1.03 | 3 | 0.77 | 23 | 5.90 | 7 | 1.79 |
| Fingolimod | 6 | 1.54 | 1 | 0.26 | 24 | 6.15 | 6 | 1.54 |
| Alemtuzumab | 1 | 0.26 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 2.05 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Cladribine | 1 | 0.26 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 1.03 | 0 | 0.00 |
| anti-CD20 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 1.28 | 0 | 0.00 |
| I don't know/don't answer | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Steroids in the last 2 months n (%) | ||||||||
| Yes | 10 | 2.56 | 0 | 0.00 | 32 | 8.21 | 4 | 1.03 |
| No | 78 | 20.00 | 17 | 4.36 | 214 | 54.87 | 35 | 8.97 |
| I don't know/don't answer | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| PDSS n (%) | ||||||||
| Normal | 40 | 10.26 | 2 | 0.51 | 112 | 28.72 | 7 | 1.79 |
| Mild disability | 7 | 1.79 | 2 | 0.51 | 27 | 6.92 | 1 | 0.26 |
| Moderate disability | 6 | 1.54 | 1 | 0.26 | 37 | 9.49 | 2 | 0.51 |
| Gait disability | 10 | 2.56 | 4 | 1.03 | 28 | 7.18 | 5 | 1.28 |
| Early cane | 6 | 1.54 | 3 | 0.77 | 17 | 4.36 | 5 | 1.28 |
| Late cane | 7 | 1.79 | 2 | 0.51 | 15 | 3.85 | 8 | 2.05 |
| Bilateral support | 6 | 1.54 | 1 | 0.26 | 6 | 1.54 | 7 | 1.79 |
| Wheelchair/scooter | 4 | 1.03 | 1 | 0.26 | 3 | 0.77 | 3 | 0.77 |
| Bedridden | 2 | 0.51 | 1 | 0.26 | 1 | 0.26 | 1 | 0.26 |
| Comorbidities n (%) | ||||||||
| Yes | 18 | 4.62 | 3 | 0.77 | 68 | 17.44 | 20 | 5.13 |
| No | 64 | 16.41 | 13 | 3.33 | 159 | 40.77 | 19 | 4.87 |
| I don't know/don't answer | 6 | 1.54 | 1 | 0.26 | 19 | 4.87 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Type of comorbidity n (%) | ||||||||
| Autoimmune thyroid disease | 3 | 0.77 | 0 | 0.00 | 46 | 11.79 | 4 | 1.03 |
| Depression | 5 | 1.28 | 1 | 0.26 | 10 | 2.56 | 7 | 1.79 |
| Hypertension | 4 | 1.03 | 2 | 0.51 | 2 | 0.51 | 4 | 1.03 |
| Other cardiovasular disease | 4 | 1.03 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.26 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Diabetes | 5 | 1.28 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | 2.56 | 5 | 1.28 |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | 2 | 0.51 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 1.03 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Psoriasis | 2 | 0.51 | 0 | 0.00 | 7 | 1.79 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Non-identified rheumatological disease | 2 | 0.51 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 1.28 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Sjogren syndrome | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.26 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Anti-phospholipid syndrome | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.26 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ankylosing spondylitis | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.51 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Coeliac disease | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.26 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Vitiligo | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.51 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Epilepsy | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.26 | 0 | 0.00 |
MS, Multiple Sclerosis; DMT, Disease-modifying Treatment; PDDS, Patient Determined Disease Steps.