Table 1 Clinical and demographic features of the Canadian and Saudi cohorts
Variables | Canada (n = 47) | Saudi Arabia (n = 51) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
Age (yr.) | 34.06 (7.77) | 32.65 (7.96) | NS |
Age of onset (yr.) | 29.43 (7.82) | 29.22 (7.93) | NS |
Sex | Female 35 (74.47%) Male 12 (25.53%) | Female (n = 32) (62.75%) Male (n = 19) (37.25%) | NS |
Duration of disease (yr.) | 5.66 (2.22) | 4.43 (1.42) | 0.0004 |
EDSS1 | 1.94 (1.06) | 1.33 (0.48) | 0.0001 |
EDSS2 | 1.96 (1.04) | 1.56 (0.58) | 0.0276 |
Change in EDSS (EDSS2-EDSS1)/yr | 0.021 (0.232) | 0.22 (0.51) | 0.0050 |
Co-morbidities | |||
Smoking | 23 (48.94%) | 7 (13.73%) | 0.0002 |
Bronchial asthma | 4 (8.51%) | 2 (3.92%) | NS |
Hypertension | 1 (2.13%) | 5 (9.80%) | NS |
Diabetes mellitus | 0 (0%) | 4 (7.84%) | NS |
Glucocorticoid therapy | 37 (78.72%) | 51 (100%) | 0.0004 |
Depression | 6 (12.77%) | 4 (7.84%) | NS |
Total relapses | 1.51 (1.13) | 2.27 (1.11) | 0.0002 |
CSF (OCB) | 47 (100%) | 51 (100%) | - |
Relapse rate/yr | 0.26 (0.15) | 0.52 (0.21) | < 0.0001 |
Active inflammation on neuroimaging | 1 (2.13%) | 0 (0%) | NS |