Table 1.
Patients’ characteristics.
| Characteristic | Mean/Number (%) |
|---|---|
| Number of patients | 137 |
| Age (years) | 63.5 ± 15.4 |
| Sex (male/female) | 58/79 |
| Smoking status | |
| Never | 92 (67.1) |
| Former | 38 (27.7) |
| Current | 7 (5.2) |
| Pulmonary function | |
| FVC (L) | 2.94 ± 0.70 |
| FEV1 (L) | 2.09 ± 0.60 |
| %FEV1 (%) | 100.4 ± 24.7 |
| Allergic rhinitis and/or chronic sinusitis | 60 (43.8) |
| Atopic disposition | 74 (54.0) |
| Treatment step | |
| Step 1 | 1 (0.7) |
| Step 2 | 14 (10.2) |
| Step 3 | 29 (21.2) |
| Step 4 | 87 (63.5) |
| Step 5 | 6 (4.4) |
Data are shown as the mean ± standard deviation or the number (percentage) of patients. FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 second; %FEV1: percentage of predicted FEV1; FVC: forced vital capacity. According to the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria, the treatment step, which corresponded to the patient’s asthma control level, was used in March 2013.