Table 2 Characteristics of patients with co-existing asthma and COPD diagnoses

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 = 289)

Non-exacerbators

(n = 225)

Exacerbators

(n = 64)

p value

SABA ≤12 per year

(n = 253)

SABA over-users

(n = 36)

p value

Age

 Mean ± SD

66.2 ± 11.8

66.8 ± 12.0

63.9 ± 11.0

p = 0.065

66.8 ± 11.7

62.1 ± 12.1

p = 0.036

Sex

 Female (%)

 Male (%)

167 (57.8%)

122 (42.2%)

129 (57.3%)

96 (42.7%)

38 (59.4%)

26 (40.6%)

p = 0.882

145 (57.3%)

108 (42.7%)

22 (61.1%)

14 (38.9%)

p = 0.801

Age of onset (years)

 <18 (%)

 ≥18 (%)

13 (4.5%)

276 (95.5%)

10 (4.4%)

215 (95.6%)

3 (4.7%)

61 (95.3%)

p = 1.000

12 (4.7%)

241 (95.3%)

1 (2.8%)

35 (97.2%)

p = 0.918

Duration of asthma (years)

 Mean ± SD

17.9 ± 15.1

17.4 ± 15.7

19.9 ± 12.7

p = 0.197

17.7 ± 15.4

19.8 ± 13.0

p = 0.365

Smoking status

 Current smoker (%)

 Ex-smoker (%)

 Never smoked (%)

92 (31.8%)

157 (54.3%)

40 (13.8%)

70 (31.1%)

121 (53.8%)

34 (15.1%)

22 (34.4%)

36 (56.2%)

6 (9.4%)

p = 0.495

80 (31.6%)

137 (54.2%)

36 (14.2%)

12 (33.3%)

20 (55.6%)

4 (11.1%)

p = 0.877

Comorbidities

 Diabetes (%)

 CHD (%)

 Hypertension (%)

 Eczema (%)

 GORD (%)

 Rhinitis (%)

 History of depression (%)

 History of anxiety (%)

 Osteoporosis (%)

37 (12.8%)

58 (20.1%)

110 (38.1%)

7 (2.4%)

27 (9.3%)

29 (10.0%)

79 (27.3%)

37 (12.8%)

44 (15.2%)

27 (12.0%)

45 (20.0%)

93 (41.3%)

6 (2.7%)

22 (9.8%)

23 (10.2%)

59 (26.2%)

30 (13.3%)

36 (16.0%)

10 (15.6%)

13 (20.3%)

17 (26.6%)

1 (1.6%)

5 (7.8%)

6 (9.4%)

20 (31.2%)

7 (10.9%)

8 (12.5%)

p = 0.524

p = 1.000

p = 0.041

p = 1.000

p = 0.809

p = 1.000

p = 0.430

p = 0.832

p = 0.560

29 (11.5%)

52 (20.6%)

102 (40.3%)

5 (2.0%)

26 (10.3%)

23 (9.1%)

63 (24.9%)

29 (11.5%)

38 (15.0%)

8 (22.2%)

6 (16.7%)

8 (22.2%)

2 (5.6%)

1 (2.8%)

6 (16.7%)

16 (44.4%)

8 (22.2%)

6 (16.7%)

p = 0.104

p = 0.663

p = 0.043

p = 0.212

p = 0.221

p = 0.229

p = 0.017

p = 0.104

p = 0.805

Number of comorbidities

 0 (%)

 1 (%)

 2 (%)

 3 (%)

 4+ (%)

0 (0.0%)

66 (22.8%)

88 (30.4%)

84 (29.1%)

51 (17.6%)

0 (0.0%)

53 (23.6%)

64 (28.4%)

65 (28.9%)

43 (19.1%)

0 (0.0%)

13 (20.3%)

24 (37.5%)

19 (29.7%)

8 (12.5%)

p = 0.421

0 (0.0%)

61 (24.1%)

75 (29.6%)

73 (28.9%)

44 (17.4%)

0 (0.0%)

5 (13.9%)

13 (36.1%)

11 (30.6%)

7 (19.4%)

p = 0.576

BTS step at the end of study year

 1 (%)

 2 (%)

 3 (%)

 4 (%)

 5 (%)

 Unclear (%)

18 (6.2%)

26 (9.0%)

118 (40.8%)

123 (42.6%)

2 (0.7%)

2 (0.7%)

17 (7.6%)

24 (10.7%)

99 (44.0%)

82 (36.4%)

1 (0.4%)

2 (0.9%)

1 (1.6%)

2 (3.1%)

19 (29.7%)

41 (64.1%)

1 (1.6%)

0 (0.0%)

p = 0.002

17 (6.7%)

23 (9.1%)

105 (41.5%)

106 (41.9%)

1 (0.4%)

1 (0.4%)

1 (2.8%)

3 (8.3%)

13 (36.1%)

17 (47.2%)

1 (2.8%)

1 (2.8%)

p = 0.268

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

 Low (%)

 Medium (%)

 High (%)

 Not on ICS (%)

 Unclear (%)

40 (13.8%)

95 (32.9%)

124 (42.9%)

16 (5.5%)

14 (4.8%)

38 (16.9%)

78 (34.7%)

82 (36.4%)

15 (6.7%)

12 (5.3%)

2 (3.1%)

17 (26.6%)

42 (65.6%)

1 (1.6%)

2 (3.1%)

p < 0.001

37 (14.6%)

87 (34.4%)

106 (41.9%)

15 (5.9%)

8 (3.2%)

3 (8.3%)

8 (22.2%)

18 (50.0%)

1 (2.8%)

6 (16.7%)

p = 0.004

Asthma review in past year

 No (%)

 Yes (%)

111 (38.4%)

178 (61.6%)

87 (38.7%)

138 (61.3%)

24 (37.5%)

40 (62.5%)

p = 0.981

100 (39.5%)

153 (60.5%)

11 (30.6%)

25 (69.4%)

p = 0.394

Exacerbators

 No (%)

 Yes (%)

225 (77.9%)

64 (22.1%)

—

—

—

204 (80.6%)

49 (19.4%)

21 (58.3%)

15 (41.7%)

p = 0.005

SABA over-users

 No (%)

 Yes (%)

253 (87.5%)

36 (12.5%)

204 (90.7%)

21 (9.3%)

49 (76.6%)

15 (23.4%)

p = 0.005

—

—

—

  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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