TABLE 1.
Differences in characteristics between the pulmonary rehabilitation group (PRG) and the control group (CON)
| PRG | CON | Between-group difference, mean (95% CI) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients, n | 528 | 2058 | ||
| Age, years | 52.7±13 | 55.7±14.5 | 3.07 (1.71–4.43) | 0.0001 |
| Male gender | 195 (38.2) | 826 (41.6) | 0.1620 | |
| FEV1, % pred | 64.1±22.8 | 69.1±21.8 | 4.97 (2.80–7.15) | 0.0001 |
| FVC, % pred | 77.6±20.7 | 81.4±29.9 | 3.81 (0.98–6.64) | 0.0084 |
| DLCO, % | 70.0±16.7 | 73.2±16.8 | 3.15 (0.67–5.62) | 0.0127 |
| FENO, ppb | 43.3±45.9 | 45.2±48.5 | 1.85 (−4.34–8.04) | 0.5584 |
| ACQ score#, points | 2.9±1.5 | 2.3±1.5 | 0.62 (0.46–0.79) | 0.0001 |
| ACT score, points | 14.3±5.6 | 16.5±5.8 | 2.21 (1.64–2.79) | 0.0001 |
| Allergic comorbidities | 292 (64.2) | 762 (59.7) | 0.2389 | |
| Asthma phenotype | 0.2891 | |||
| Predominantly allergic asthma | 126 (42.0) | 314 (37.3) | ||
| Nonallergic asthma | 90 (30.0) | 258 (30.6) | ||
| Mixed forms of asthma | 84 (28.0) | 270 (32.1) | ||
| α1-Antitrypsin deficiency | 1 (0.4) | 9 (0.4) | 0.4137 | |
| Vocal cord dysfunction | 8 (1.5) | 7 (0.3) | 0.0015 | |
| GINA control status | 0.0001 | |||
| Controlled | 82 (15.5) | 491 (23.9) | ||
| Partly controlled | 128 (24.2) | 632 (30.7) | ||
| Uncontrolled | 318 (60.2) | 934 (45.4) | ||
| miniAQLQ score, points | 3.76±1.29 | 4.42±1.48 | 0.0001 | |
| Workability | 194 (36.7) | 1192 (57.9) | 0.0001 | |
| Symptoms | ||||
| Exertional dyspnoea | 438 (83.0) | 1463 (71.1) | 0.0001 | |
| Resting dyspnoea | 119 (22.5) | 311 (15.1) | 0.0001 | |
| Chest tightness | 146 (27.7) | 446 (21.7) | 0.0035 | |
| Coughing | 285 (54.0) | 985 (47.9) | 0.0122 | |
| Rhonchus/wheezing | 214 (40.5) | 614 (29.8) | 0.0001 | |
| Prolonged expiration | 73.0 (13.8) | 173 (8.4) | 0.0002 | |
| Reduced exercise capacity | 381 (72.2) | 1175 (57.1) | 0.0001 | |
| Bronchial hyperresponsiveness | 362 (68.6) | 1140 (55.4) | 0.0001 | |
| Depression | 126 (23.9) | 291 (14.1) | 0.0001 | |
| Frequency of exacerbations, cases (%) | ||||
| None | 124 (23.9) | 996 (47.4) | 0.0001 | |
| 1 per year | 86 (16.6) | 266 (13.0) | ||
| 2–11 per year | 249 (48.0) | 630 (30.8) | ||
| ≥1 per month | 45 (8.7) | 81(4.0) | ||
| Unknown | 15 (2.9) | 99 (4.8) | ||
| Use of medical services in last 12 months, cases (%) | ||||
| Emergency care | 223 (58.1) | 439 (44.0) | 0.0001 | |
| Hospitalisation | 180 (46.9) | 220 (22.1) | 0.0001 | |
| Hospitalisation with intensive care | 47 (12.3) | 54 (5.4) | 0.0001 | |
Data are presented as mean±sd or n (%) unless otherwise stated. Symptoms were surveyed and sought by the physician. Between-group differences were calculated for all numerical data. FEV1: forced expiratory capacity in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; DLCO: diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide; FENO: exhaled nitric oxide fraction; ACQ: Asthma Control Questionnaire; ACT: Asthma Control Test; GINA: Global Initiative for Asthma; miniAQLQ: mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. #: 0–6 points. Significant results are marked in bold.