Table 5.
Characteristics of patients with severe asthma based on ethnicity
| Patient characteristics and outcomes | Chinese (n=126) | Malay (n=34) | Indian (n=29) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age (years) | 50±19 | 42±13 | 46±17 | NS |
| Gender (male) | 69 (54.8) | 9 (26.5) | 11 (37.9) | 0.008 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 24.1±4.3 | 30.0±10.0 | 29.0±7.9 | <0.001 |
| Age of onset (years) | 26 (10–45) | 19 (5–39) | 20 (8–37) | NS |
| Active or ex-smoker | 27 (21.4) | 8 (23.5) | 3 (10.1) | NS |
| Eosinophil count (109/L) | 0.62±0.63* | 0.80±0.62* | 1.02±1.16* | NS |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 73±22 | 71±19 | 68±13 | NS |
| FEV1/FVC | 71±14 | 76±13 | 79±7 | 0.006 |
| Allergen sensitization | ||||
| Positive skin prick test | 101 (80.2) | 25 (73.5) | 21 (72.4) | NS |
| Blomia tropicalis | 93 (73.8) | 21 (61.8) | 18 (62.1) | NS |
| Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus | 90 (71.4) | 23 (67.6) | 20 (69.0) | NS |
| Dermatophagoides farinae | 92 (73.0) | 22 (64.7) | 15 (51.7) | NS |
| Dog dander | 41 (32.5) | 9 (26.5) | 20 (69.0) | NS |
| Cat dander | 43 (34.1) | 9 (26.5) | 8 (26.6) | NS |
| Feather | 11 (8.7) | 5 (14.7) | 7 (24.1) | NS |
| Cockroach | 31 (24.6) | 9 (26.5) | 2 (6.9) | NS |
| Aspergillus | 19 (15.1) | 2 (5.9) | 1 (3.4) | NS |
| Sensitization to ≥4 allergens | 64 (50.8) | 15 (44.1) | 8 (27.6) | NS |
| Number of sensitized allergens | 101 (80.2) | 25 (73.5) | 21 (72.4) | NS |
| Indicators of uncontrolled asthma | ||||
| ≥2 Steroid bursts in the past year | 28 (22.2) | 7 (20.6) | 9 (31.0) | NS |
| Hospitalization in the past year | 18 (14.3) | 10 (29.4) | 6 (20.7) | NS |
| History of near-fatal asthma | 9 (7.1) | 1 (2.9) | 2 (6.9) | NS |
| FEV1 <80% predicted and FEV1/FVC <0.7 | 48 (38.1) | 9 (26.5) | 5 (17.2) | NS |
| Any of the above | 70 (55.6) | 15 (44.1) | 16 (55.2) | NS |
Notes: Values are expressed as mean ± standard deviation, median (interquartile range), and numbers (percentage).
*
Eosinophil counts available for 92, 24 and 22 patients of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity, respectively.
Abbreviations: FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC, forced vital capacity; NS, not significant.