Table 2. Comparison between the genders in terms of clinical characteristics, level of asthma control, lung function, nutritional status, and health-related quality of life.a .
| Variable | Females | Males | p* |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 162) | (n = 36) | ||
| Age, yearsb | 56.3 ± 14.2 | 55.7 ± 17.8 | 0.805 |
| Race | |||
| White | 116 (72) | 33 (91.7) | 0.024 |
| Non-White | 45 (28) | 3 (8.3) | |
| Age at diagnosis, yearsc | 18 (43) | 29 (44) | 0.021 |
| Smoking status | |||
| Never smoker | 116 (71.6) | 22 (61.1) | 0.150 |
| Former smoker | 46 (28.4) | 14 (38.9) | |
| GINA asthma severity classification | |||
| Mild | 21 (13) | 2 (5.6) | 0.401 |
| Moderate | 24 (14.8) | 7 (19.4) | |
| Severe | 117 (72.2) | 27 (75) | |
| GINA asthma control | |||
| Well-controlled/partly controlled | 60 (37.0) | 20 (55.6) | 0.041 |
| Uncontrolled | 102 (63.0) | 16 (44.4) | |
| Nutritional markersb | |||
| BMI, kg/m2 | 30.2 ± 5.8 | 26.9 ± 4.5 | 0.002 |
| Body fat, % | 37.4 ± 6.4 | 26.5 ± 7.4 | < 0.001 |
| Comorbidities | 111 (68.5) | 14 (38.9) | 0.001 |
| Cardiovascular comorbidities | 94 (58.0) | 13 (36.1) | 0.028 |
| Pre-bronchodilator lung functionb | |||
| FVC, L | 2.3 ± 0.7 | 3.3 ± 1.0 | < 0.001 |
| FVC, % predicted | 83.2 ± 20.9 | 76.3 ± 22.0 | 0.078 |
| FEV1, L | 1.6 ± 0.6 | 2.2 ± 0.9 | < 0.001 |
| FEV1, % predicted | 69.5 ± 21.7 | 62.4 ± 23.9 | 0.085 |
| FEV1/FVC, % predicted | 82.4 ± 12.3 | 80.8 ± 15.9 | 0.492 |
| Quality of lifeb | |||
| Symptoms | 3.8 ± 1.5 | 4.6 ± 1.7 | 0.006 |
| Activity limitation | 3.6 ± 1.3 | 4.4 ± 1.5 | 0.001 |
| Emotional function | 3.6 ± 1.9 | 4.5 ± 1.7 | 0.014 |
| Environmental stimuli | 3.2 ± 1.6 | 4.3 ± 1.9 | 0.001 |
GINA: Global Initiative for Asthma; and BMI: body mass index. *Values of p < 0.05 were considered significant. aData expressed as n (%), except where otherwise indicated. bData expressed as mean ± SD. cData expressed as median (interquartile range).