Table 1 Characteristics of all active asthma patients

From: Insights into frequent asthma exacerbations from a primary care perspective and the implications of UK National Review of Asthma Deaths recommendations

 

All patients

(n = 2639)

Non-exacerbators

(n = 2454)

Exacerbators

(n = 185)

p value

SABA ≤12 per year

(n = 2502)

SABA over-users

(n = 137)

p value

Age

 Mean ± SD

48.5 ± 17.4

47.8 ± 17.4

56.9 ± 16.1

p < 0.001

48.3 ± 17.5

51.7 ± 15.6

p = 0.016

Sex

 Female (%)

 Male (%)

1538 (58.3%)

1100 (41.7%)

1412 (57.6%)

1041 (42.4%)

126 (68.1%)

59 (31.9%)

p = 0.006

1464 (58.5%)

1037 (41.5%)

74 (54.0%)

63 (46.0%)

p = 0.339

Age of onset (years)

 <18 (%)

 ≥18 (%)

449 (17.0%)

2190 (83.0%)

432 (17.6%)

2022 (82.4%)

17 (9.2%)

168 (90.8%)

p = 0.005

423 (16.9%)

2079 (83.1%)

26 (19.0%)

111 (81.0%)

p = 0.609

Duration of asthma (years)

 Mean ± SD

19.3 ± 15.2

19.4 ± 15.3

19.2 ± 14.2

p = 0.866

19.2 ± 15.3

21.3 ± 12.4

p = 0.065

Smoking status

 Current smoker (%)

 Ex-smoker (%)

 Never smoked (%)

592 (22.4%)

699 (26.5%)

1348 (51.1%)

542 (22.1%)

635 (25.9%)

1277 (52.0%)

50 (27.0%)

64 (34.6%)

71 (38.4%)

p = 0.001

541 (21.6%)

650 (26.0%)

1311 (52.4%)

51 (37.2%)

49 (35.8%)

37 (27.0%)

p < 0.001

Comorbidities

 COPD (%)

 Diabetes (%)

 CHD (%)

 Hypertension (%)

 Eczema (%)

 GORD (%)

 Rhinitis (%)

 History of depression (%)

 History of anxiety (%)

 Osteoporosis (%)

289 (11.0%)

179 (6.8%)

176 (6.7%)

514 (19.5%)

253 (9.6%)

216 (8.2%)

476 (18.0%)

607 (23.0%)

265 (10.0%)

117 (4.4%)

225 (9.2%)

155 (6.3%)

152 (6.2%)

466 (19.0%)

243 (9.9%)

200 (8.1%)

442 (18.0%)

550 (22.4%)

247 (10.1%)

101 (4.1%)

64 (34.6%)

24 (13.0%)

24 (13.0%)

48 (25.9%)

10 (5.4%)

16 (8.6%)

34 (18.4%)

57 (30.8%)

18 (9.7%)

16 (8.6%)

p < 0.001

p = 0.001

p = 0.001

p = 0.026

p = 0.051

p = 0.781

p = 0.921

p = 0.011

p = 1.000

p = 0.008

253 (10.1%)

162 (6.5%)

165 (6.6%)

490 (19.6%)

234 (9.4%)

202 (8.1%)

450 (18.0%)

551 (22.0%)

246 (9.8%)

104 (4.2%)

36 (26.3%)

17 (12.4%)

11 (8.0%)

24 (17.5%)

19 (13.9%)

14 (10.2%)

26 (19.0%)

56 (40.9%)

19 (13.9%)

13 (9.5%)

p < 0.001

p = 0.013

p = 0.482

p = 0.657

p = 0.099

p = 0.339

p = 0.733

p < 0.001

p = 0.142

p = 0.008

Number of comorbidities

 0 (%)

 1 (%)

 2 (%)

 3 (%)

 4+ (%)

915 (34.7%)

875 (33.2%)

493 (18.7%)

233 (8.8%)

123 (4.7%)

886 (36.1%)

815 (33.2%)

434 (17.7%)

211 (8.6%)

108 (4.4%)

29 (15.7%)

60 (32.4%)

59 (31.9%)

22 (11.9%)

15 (8.1%)

p < 0.001

889 (35.5%)

835 (33.4%)

457 (18.3%)

210 (8.4%)

111 (4.4%)

26 (19.0%)

40 (29.2%)

36 (26.3%)

23 (16.8%)

12 (8.8%)

p < 0.001

BTS step at the end of study year

 1 (%)

 2 (%)

 3 (%)

 4 (%)

 5 (%)

 Unclear (%)

488 (18.5%)

749 (28.4%)

1056 (40.0%)

313 (11.9%)

6 (0.2%)

27 (1.0%)

483 (19.7%)

729 (29.7%)

972 (39.6%)

240 (9.8%)

3 (0.1%)

27 (1.1%)

5 (2.7%)

20 (10.8%)

84 (45.4%)

73 (39.5%)

3 (1.6%)

0 (0.0%)

p < 0.001

479 (19.1%)

716 (28.6%)

995 (39.8%)

284 (11.4%)

5 (0.2%)

23 (0.9%)

9 (6.6%)

33 (24.1%)

61 (44.5%)

29 (21.2%)

1 (0.7%)

4 (2.9%)

p < 0.001

ICS dose at the end of study year (BDP equivalent)

 Low (%)

 Medium (%)

 High (%)

 Not on ICS (%)

 Unclear (%)

979 (37.1%)

674 (25.5%)

316 (12.0%)

438 (16.6%)

232 (8.8%)

946 (38.5%)

612 (24.9%)

242 (9.9%)

433 (17.6%)

221 (9.0%)

33 (17.8%)

62 (33.5%)

74 (40.0%)

5 (2.7%)

11 (5.9%)

p < 0.001

937 (37.5%)

630 (25.2%)

286 (11.4%)

429 (17.1%)

220 (8.8%)

42 (30.7%)

44 (32.1%)

30 (21.9%)

9 (6.6%)

12 (8.8%)

p < 0.001

Asthma review in past year

 No (%)

 Yes (%)

1245 (47.2%)

1394 (52.8%)

1168 (47.6%)

1286 (52.4%)

77 (41.6%)

108 (58.4%)

p = 0.135

1185 (47.4%)

1317 (52.6%)

60 (43.8%)

77 (56.2%)

p = 0.468

Exacerbators

 No (%)

 Yes (%)

2454 (93.0%)

185 (7.0%)

—

—

—

2342 (93.6%)

160 (6.4%)

112 (81.8%)

25 (18.2%)

p < 0.001

SABA over-users

 No (%)

 Yes (%)

2502 (94.8%)

137 (5.2%)

2342 (95.4%)

112 (4.6%)

160 (86.5%)

25 (13.5%)

p < 0.001

—

—

—

  1. Definitions: Frequent exacerbators, ≥2 courses of oral corticosteroids (OCS) for asthma exacerbations in the past 12 months; SABA over-users, prescribed ≥13 SABA inhalers in the past 12 months
  2. SD standard deviation, SABA short-acting β2-antagonist, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CHD coronary heart disease, HBP hypertension, GORD gastro–oesophageal reflux disease, BTS British Thoracic Society, ICS inhaled corticosteroids, BDP beclometasone diproprionate
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