Demographic findings according to the time period of first evaluation
| 1972–6 | 1977–81 | 1982–6 | 1987–91 | 1992–6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSc, systemic sclerosis. | |||||
| *p<0.05, **p<0.01. | |||||
| n | 221 | 323 | 392 | 534 | 655 |
| Female sex (%) | 79 | 80 | 84* | 79 | 81 |
| Age (at first diagnosis by a doctor; years) | 40 | 43 | 42 | 40 | 42 |
| SSc subtype | |||||
| Diffuse SSc (%) | 40* | 47 | 49 | 44 | 47 |
| Disease duration* (years) | |||||
| At first diagnosis by a doctor | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| At first visit | 8.4* | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 6.9 |
| At last study visit | 15.1 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.2 | 11.1** |