Table 3.
Summary of the characteristics of patients in each cluster
| Variable, N = 190 | Cluster A | Cluster B | Cluster C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid exacerbation | Fairly rapid exacerbation | Slow exacerbation | ||
| Demographics | Age, mean, years | 51 | 63 | 59 |
| up to 41 y | ++ | + | + | |
| 41 y to <65 y | +++ | ++ | ++ | |
| ≥65 y | + | +++ | ++ | |
| BMI <18.5 kg/m2 | +++ | − | − | |
| Current smoker | +++ | + | ++ | |
| Hypersensitivity symptoms to furred pets | ++ | + | + | |
| Comorbidity | Hyperlipidemia | − | ++ | + |
| Usual trigger of worsening of symptoms | Cold air/climate change, (%) | +++ (74) | +++ (54) | +++ (74) |
| Drug usage in the previous month | ICS regular usea | ++ | +++ | ++ |
| Trigger of the current exacerbation | Stop using anti‐asthma medication | + | − | − |
| Time to hospitalization | From VAS3.3, median, hour | 7.4 | 48.0 | 240.0 |
| From VAS6.6, median, hour | 2.7 | 8.7 | 12.0 | |
ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; BMI, body mass index; VAS, visual analogue scale.
−, <10%, + 10‐<25%; ++, 25‐<50%; +++, 50‐<75%, ++++, 75%‐100%.
a
Patients who reported use of the drug almost every day (≥4 d per week) of ICS use in the previous month in Table 2.