Table 1:

Demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline and during the follow-up in 176 patients with MS, according to the confirmed disability progression status at the 10-year follow-up

Total Study Cohort (N = 176)Stable Group (n = 76)CDP Group (n = 100)P Valuea
Female sex (No.) (%)137 (77.8)57 (75)80 (80).429
Age at baseline (mean) (SD) (yr)30.7 (7.9)28.7 (7.1)31.8 (7.9).008b
Disease duration at baseline (mean) (SD) (yr)4.9 (5.2)4.0 (3.2)5.7 (6.2).02
EDSS at baseline (median) (IQR)2.0 (1.0–2.5)2.0 (1.0–2.0)2.0 (1.5–2.0).093
EDSS at follow-up (median) (IQR)3.0 (2.0–4.0)2.0 (1.5–2.5)4.0 (3.0–5.0)<.001b
EDSS absolute change during follow-up (median) (IQR)1.3 (0–2) 1.00.13 (0–0.5) 02.2 (1.5–3) 2.0<.001b
No. of relapses between baseline and follow-up (mean) (SD)5.2 (3.8) 54.6 (3.9)5.8 (3.7).048
Annual relapse rate during the follow-up (mean) (SD)0.5 (0.4)0.5 (0.4)0.6 (0.4).048
Relapse-free from baseline to follow-up (No.) (%)7 (4)5 (6.6)2 (2).124
Treatment status at follow-up (No.) (%)
    Remained on IM interferon β-1a74 (42)45 (59.2)29 (29)<.001b
    Switched to other DMTs79 (44.9)23 (30.3)56 (56)
    Discontinued DMT23 (13.1)8 (10.5)15 (15)
Time on interferon β-1a IM (mean) (SD) (mo)87.3 (99.5)91.3 (16.6)84.1 (24.4).022

  • Note:—IQR indicates interquartile range; IM, intramuscular; DMT, disease-modifying treatment.

  • ↵a P values represent the stable-vs-CDP group comparisons and were derived using the Student t test, χ2 test, and Mann-Whitney rank sum test, as appropriate.

  • ↵b Significant P values < .05.