Table 5.
Association Between Eosinophil Pattern and the Rate of Exacerbations During the Outcome Year
| Variable | Category | Rate Ratio (95% CI) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistence of BEC elevation | No high BEC | Reference | |
| Persistently high BEC | 1.28 (1.24–1.33) | < 0.001 | |
| Intermittently high BEC | 1.24 (1.21–1.27) | < 0.001 | |
| Confounders | |||
| Nasal polyps | No | Reference | |
| Yes | 1.36 (1.33, 1.39) | < 0.001 | |
| Age per 10 years | 1.28 (1.23–1.33) | < 0.001 | |
| Age2 per 10 years | 0.99 (0.99–0.99) | < 0.001 | |
| Anxiety/depression | No | Reference | |
| Yes | 1.36 (1.33–1.39) | < 0.001 | |
| Rate of BEC measurements per year | 1.23 (1.21–1.25) | < 0.001 | |
| Number of BEC measurements | 1.01 (1.00–1.01) | < 0.001 |
Note: Negative binomial regression analysis was performed with the number of exacerbations in the outcome year as the outcome variable and number of blood eosinophil counts available, mean annual rate of blood eosinophil count measurements, sex, age, smoking habits, and presence of comorbidities as covariates.
Abbreviations: BEC, blood eosinophil count; CI, confidence interval.