Table 1.
Demographic and Asthma Characteristics of the Patients.*
| Characteristic | Total (N = 278) | Intermittent Regimen (N = 139) | Daily Regimen (N = 139) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age of 12–32 mo — no. (%) | 127 (45.7) | 64 (46.0) | 63 (45.3) |
| Male sex — no. (%) | 192 (69.1) | 102 (73.4) | 90 (64.7) |
| White race — no. (%)† | 173 (62.2) | 91 (65.5) | 82 (59.0) |
| Height — cm | 94.2±9.1 | 94.0±9.1 | 94.5±9.0 |
| Weight — kg | 15.2±3.1 | 15.0±3.0 | 15.5±3.1 |
| Head circumference — cm | 50.0±1.9 | 50.1±2.0 | 49.9±1.9 |
| Physician diagnosis of asthma — no. (%) | 198 (71.2) | 99 (71.2) | 99 (71.2) |
| No. of wheezing episodes in past year | 6.7±5.4 | 7.0±5.9 | 6.4±4.7 |
| No. of urgent or emergency visits in past year | 4.8±4.2 | 4.6±4.2 | 5.0±4.1 |
| Hospitalizations in past year — no. (%) | 53 (19.1) | 26 (18.7) | 27 (19.4) |
| Tobacco-smoke exposure from birth — no. (%) | 114 (41.0) | 55 (39.6) | 59 (42.4) |
| Medication use in past year — no. (%) | |||
| Asthma controller | 194 (69.8) | 100 (71.9) | 94 (67.6) |
| Inhaled glucocorticoid | 189 (68.0) | 96 (69.1) | 93 (66.9) |
| Oral glucocorticoid | 210 (75.5) | 110 (79.1) | 100 (71.9) |
| Allergy — no./total no. (%) | |||
| Food sensitivity | 95/273 (34.8) | 50/135 (37.0) | 45/138 (32.6) |
| Any aeroallergen sensitivity | 161/276 (58.3) | 82/137 (59.9) | 79/139 (56.8) |
| IgE — IU/ml | |||
| Median | 58 | 50 | 61 |
| Interquartile range | 21–186 | 20–195 | 25–179 |
| Eosinophils ≥4% — no./total no. (%) | 123/260 (47.3) | 61/132 (46.2) | 62/128 (48.4) |
| Eczema — no. (%) | 146 (52.5) | 76 (54.7) | 70 (50.4) |
| Allergic rhinitis — no. (%) | 105 (37.8) | 50 (36.0) | 55 (39.6) |
| Parental asthma — no./total no. (%) | 171/266 (64.3) | 85/131 (64.9) | 86/135 (63.7) |
| Exhaled nitric oxide ≥10 ppb — no./total no. (%) | 78/178 (43.8) | 36/82 (43.9) | 42/96 (43.8) |
| Episode-free days during run-in period — % | 67±30 | 66±30 | 68±29 |
| Diary scores during run-in period‡ | |||
| Coughing | 0.4±0.4 | 0.4±0.5 | 0.4±0.4 |
| Wheezing | 0.1±0.3 | 0.2±0.3 | 0.1±0.3 |
| Trouble breathing | 0.1±0.3 | 0.1±0.3 | 0.1±0.2 |
| Interference with activities | 0.1±0.2 | 0.1±0.2 | 0.1±0.3 |
| General health perceptions from ITQOL§ | 59.2±14.1 | 59.0±14.8 | 59.4±13.5 |
| Any nasal virus identified — no. (%) | 148 (53.2) | 72 (51.8) | 76 (54.7) |
*
Plus–minus values are means ±SD. There were no significant differences between the two groups.
†
Race was determined by parents or guardians.
‡
Scores range from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. Scores were calculated from diaries as means ±SD for the 2-week run-in period.
§
The scores on the Infant Toddler Quality of Life (ITQOL) questionnaire range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health.