Table 1.
Clinical Characteristics of the Study Patients, According to Presence or Absence of Exacerbation
| Characteristic | All Patients (N = 60,302) | No Exacerbation (n = 37,880) | Nonsevere Exacerbation (n = 19,772)a | Severe Exacerbation (n = 2,650)b | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 47.5 (60.7-29.4) | 46.3 (60.4-28.5) | 49.9 (61.7-33.2) | 41.8 (55.4-25.6) | < .001 |
| Female sex | 37,443 (62.1) | 23,335 (61.6) | 12,468 (63.1) | 1,640 (61.9) | < .001 |
| Race | |||||
| White | 45,998 (76.3) | 29,003 (76.6) | 15,580 (78.8) | 1,415 (53.4) | < .001 |
| Black | 9,259 (15.4) | 5,528 (14.6) | 2,743 (13.9) | 988 (37.3) | |
| Asian | 800 (1.3) | 528 (1.4) | 247 (1.2) | 25 (0.9) | |
| Other | 4,245 (7.0) | 2,821 (7.4) | 1,202 (6.1) | 222 (8.4) | |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 28.7 (34.3-24.4) | 28.2 (33.8-24.0) | 29.4 (35.0-25.1) | 30.2 (36.9-25.4) | < .001 |
| Treatment | |||||
| SABA | 44,615 (74.0) | 25,206 (66.5) | 16,792 (84.9) | 2,617 (98.8) | < .001 |
| LDiCS | 34,384 (57.0) | 17,910 (47.3) | 14,340 (72.5) | 2,134 (80.5) | < .001 |
| iCS + LABA or HDiCS | 33,871 (56.2) | 17,550 (46.3) | 14,201 (71.8) | 2,120 (80.0) | < .001 |
| Chronic steroid | 1,041 (1.7) | 260 (0.7) | 613 (3.1) | 189 (7.1) | < .001 |
| Theophylline | 199 (0.3) | 62 (0.2) | 99 (0.5) | 38 (1.4) | < .001 |
| Leukotriene inhibitor | 14,096 (23.4) | 6,752 (17.8) | 6,289 (31.8) | 1,055 (39.8) | < .001 |
| Anti-IgE biological therapy | 257 (0.4) | 65 (0.2) | 161 (0.8) | 31 (1.2) | < .001 |
| Nasal steroids | 35,028 (58.1) | 18,363 (48.5) | 14,521 (73.4) | 2,144 (80.9) | < .001 |
| Nasal antihistamines | 3,867 (6.4) | 1,666 (4.4) | 2,012 (10.2) | 189 (7.1) | < .001 |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Hypertension | 18,488 (30.7) | 10,631 (28.1) | 6,932 (35.1) | 925 (34.9) | < .001 |
| Diabetes | 6,599 (10.9) | 4,002 (10.6) | 2,216 (11.2) | 381 (14.4) | < .001 |
| Liver disease | 2,962 (4.9) | 1,591 (4.2) | 1,225 (6.2) | 146 (5.5) | < .001 |
| Renal failure | 2,024 (3.4) | 1,101 (2.9) | 812 (4.1) | 111 (4.2) | < .001 |
| Sleep apnea | 8,983 (14.9) | 4,928 (13.0) | 3,548 (17.9) | 507 (19.1) | < .001 |
| Depression | 12,251 (20.3) | 6,778 (17.9) | 4,760 (24.1) | 713 (26.9) | < .001 |
| GERD | 16,296 (27.0) | 8,844 (23.3) | 6,648 (33.6) | 804 (30.3) | < .001 |
| Sinusitis | 20,827 (34.5) | 10,080 (26.6) | 9,663 (48.9) | 1,084 (40.9) | < .001 |
| Anemia | 7,940 (13.2) | 4,237 (11.2) | 3,231 (16.3) | 472 (17.8) | < .001 |
Data are presented as No. (%) or median (interquartile range), unless otherwise indicated. GERD = gastroesophageal reflux disease; HDiCS = high-dose inhaled corticosteroid; iCS= inhaled corticosteroid; LABA = long-acting β-agonist; LDiCS = low-dose inhaled corticosteroid; SABA = short-acting β-agonist.
a
Requiring oral prednisone bursts, but no ED visits or hospitalizations.
b
Requiring ED visits or hospitalizations.