TABLE 1.
Participant characteristics for severe asthma using the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society task force definition
| Variable | Severe asthma (N=211) |
| Age years | 61.5 (51.5–68.9) |
| Male | 79 (37%) |
| Atopy | 161 (77.8%) |
| Ex-smoker | 86 (40.8%) |
| Smoking history pack-years | 9.0 (2.3–26.0) |
| Asthma history | |
| Asthma duration years | 33.8 (14.8–49.8) |
| ACQ score | 1.7 (1.2–2.3) |
| Oral corticosteroid courses | 1 (1–3), range 0–15 |
| Medications | |
| ICS daily dose BDP equivalent µg·day−1 | 2000 (2000–2000) |
| ICS/LABA | 211 (100%) |
| Leukotriene modifier | 10 (4.8%) |
| Long-acting muscarinic antagonist | 54 (25.7%) |
| Theophylline | 8 (3.8%) |
| ICS | 17 (8.1%) |
| Oral corticosteroid | 9 (4.3%) |
| Pre-B2 spirometry mean±sd | |
| Pre-B2 FEV1 % predicted | 70.4±18.9 |
| Pre-B2 FVC % predicted | 81±15.5 |
| Pre-B2 FEV1/FVC % | 66.8±11.8 |
| Sputum phenotype (N=168) | |
| Eosinophilic | 73 (43.5%) |
Data are presented as median (interquartile range) unless otherwise stated. ACQ: Asthma Control Questionnaire; ICS: inhaled corticosteroid; BDP: beclomethasone dipropionate; LABA: long-acting β2-agonist; pre-B2: pre-β2-agonist.