Table 2 Characteristics of men and women in study.
| Characteristics | Men (n = 71) | Women (n = 51) |
|---|---|---|
| Age of onset of symptoms (years) | 6 (2–22) | 6 (3–21) |
| Untreated period (years) | 14 (4–22) | 16 (9–25) |
| Age at start of inhaled corticosteroids (years) | 40 (34–48) | 45 (35–53) |
| Mean daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids (μg/day)* | 794 (527–1129) | 618 (400–1114) |
| Period of inhaled corticosteroid use (years) | 13.6 (7.0–19.4) | 14.0 (8.5–20.7) |
| Duration of inhaled corticosteroid use (years of 100 μg use daily)* | 110.1 (47.7–165.9) | 88.6 (46.4–155.9) |
| Initial testing | ||
| Age (years) | 27 (21–34) | 30 (24–37) |
| FEV1 % predicted pre BD (%) | 56 (45–71) | 56 (39–69) |
| FEV1 % predicted post BD (%) | 85 (66–97) | 87 (68–97) |
| BHR ⩽16.0 mg/ml (%) | 86 | 88 |
| ⩾1 positive skin test (%) | 86 | 88 |
| Blood eosinophils (×106/l) | 341 (237–534) | 280 (215–481) |
| Reversibility (% predicted) | 24 (18–32) | 28 (17–33) |
| Smoking | ||
| Pack years smoking | 2.4 (0–7.2)† | 0 (0–0.5) |
| Non/ex/current smokers (%) | 34/10/56† | 71/0/29 |
| Re‐examination | ||
| Age (years) | 53 (46–59) | 57 (50–62) |
| FEV1 % predicted pre BD (%) | 57 (42–74) | 61 (39–81) |
| FEV1 % predicted post BD (%) | 70 (54–85)‡ | 78 (62–95) |
| BHR ⩽16.0 mg/ml (%) | 88 | 85 |
| ⩾1 positive skin test (%) | 77 | 73 |
| Blood eosinophils (×106/l) | 130 (70–220) | 132 (66–220) |
| Reversibility (% predicted) | 12 (8–16)§ | 15 (9–21) |
| Total IgE (IU/l) | 96 (27–442)¶ | 47 (25–193) |
| Total IgE ⩾120 IU/l (%) | 46 | 32 |
| Smoking | ||
| Pack years smoking | 8.4 (0.3–16.9)† | 0 (0–3.6) |
| Non/ex/current smokers (%) | 24/47/30† | 71/20/10 |
Data are presented as median values (interquartile range) unless stated otherwise.
BHR, bronchial hyperresponsiveness; pre BD, before administration of bronchodilator; post BD, after administration of bronchodilator.
*Calculated for individuals who ever used inhaled corticosteroids only.
Differences tested by χ2 test (categorical variables) or Mann‐Whitney U test (continuous variables). Significant difference between males and females: †p<0.0001; ‡p = 0.035; §p = 0.018; ¶p = 0.040.