The effect of personal variables
Stepwise Hierarchical Regression
analysis was employed to assess the contribution of health-related
personal variables on the association between prodromes and attacks.
Methodically, the personal health variables were forcibly introduced
first, the prodrome variables second, and thirdly- the interactions
between personal and prodrome variables. Using this analysis we found
that personal variables (i.e. experience and duration of illness)
influences the patients’ perception of the prodrome (β=.44, p<
.001). This means that the association among those with the shortest
experience in the disease is much noteable than among the experienced
patients. In less experienced patients an intense prodrome predicts
stronger attack. It should be noted that in our previous survey of 197
HAE patients, a positive association was also found between the
intensity of the prodromes and the intensity of the
attacks.13