Table 1. Characteristics of patients with asthma.
| Variables | Total (n = 153,481) | Patients with incident asthma (n = 78,869) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age group (yr) | |||
| 11–19 | 26,445 (17.2) | 7,144 (9.1) | |
| 20–29 | 12,118 (7.9) | 8,265 (10.5) | |
| 30–39 | 23,567 (15.4) | 14,474 (18.4) | |
| 40–49 | 23,323 (15.2) | 13,331 (16.9) | |
| 50–59 | 23,495 (15.3) | 13,509 (17.1) | |
| ≥ 60 | 44,533 (29.0) | 22,146 (28.1) | |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 61,723 (40.2) | 31,600 (40.1) | |
| Female | 91,758 (59.8) | 47,269 (59.9) | |
| Type of insurance | |||
| Self-employed health insurance | 57,377 (37.4) | 27,437 (34.8) | |
| Employee health insurance | 92,008 (60.0) | 48,413 (61.4) | |
| Medical aid | 4,096 (2.7) | 3,019 (3.8) | |
| Asthma medication* | |||
| ICS | 42,204 (27.5) | 17,555 (22.3) | |
| LABA | 21,991 (14.3) | 8,482 (10.8) | |
| LTRA | 56,090 (36.6) | 28,216 (35.8) | |
| Theophylline | 79,660 (51.9) | 37,033 (47.0) | |
| ICS/LABA | 21,920 (14.3) | 8,456 (10.7) | |
| LAMA | 2,032 (1.3) | 682 (0.9) | |
| OCS | 82,685 (53.9) | 38,615 (49.0) | |
| CCI | |||
| 0–1 | 125,215 (81.6) | 63,878 (81.0) | |
| 2 or more | 28,266 (18.4) | 14,991 (19.0) | |
Data are presented as frequency (%).
ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; LABA, long-acting β2 agonist; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; LAMA, long-acting muscarinic antagonist; OCS, oral corticosteroid; CCI, Charlson Comorbidities Index.
*Drugs prescribed at least once between 2002 and 2012 were included.