Table 1 Patients characteristics
Group 1 (age ≤ 65 years) | Group 2 (age > 65 years) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NIV (n = 23) | Conventional (n = 19) | p value | Number of total | NIV (n = 18) | Conventional (n = 24) | p value | Number of total | |
Male / Female | 10 / 13 | 10 / 9 | 0.6 | 20 / 22 | 9 / 9 | 8 / 16 | 0.3 | 17 / 25 |
Bulbar onset, number of patients (%) | 9 (39%) | 10 (53%) | 0.4 | 19 / 42 | 5 (28%) | 13 (54%) | 0.1 | 18 / 42 |
Use of PEG, number of patients (%) | 13 (57%) | 10 (53%) | 0.8 | 23 / 42 | 8 (44%) | 10 (42%) | 0.9 | 18 / 42 |
Use of riluzole, number of patients (%) | 10 (43%) | 11 (58%) | 0.4 | 21 / 42 | 7 (39%) | 5 (21%) | 0.2 | 12 / 42 |
Hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases, number of patients (%) | 8 (35%) | 3 (16%) | 0.3* | 11 / 42 | 12 (67%) | 11 (46%) | 0.2 | 23 / 42 |
Median time from onset of symptoms until diagnosis, months (range) | 12 (2 – 36) | 10 (3 – 24) | 0.5** | 12 (7 – 60) | 12 (1 – 54) | 0.8** | ||
Median age at diagnosis, years (range) | 61 (49 – 65) | 58 (49 – 65) | 0.3** | 76 (66 – 85) | 77 (66 – 84) | 0.7** | ||