Table 1.

Definition of Severe Exacerbation and ICS-Related Terms Used in the Present Study

	Definition
Severe exacerbation	Needing a course of acute OCS (defined as ≥ 20mg per day), the need to seek emergency medical services, or a hospital admission.
High dose inhaled corticosteroids	Total daily dose of extrafine beclometasone >400 mcg, budesonide >800 mcg, ciclesonide >320 mcg, fluticasone furoate ≥200 mcg, fluticasone propionate >500 mcg.33
Obesity	BMI >30 and an associated disease code or coded data within the patient’s EMR.
Repeated steroid exposure	More than four exacerbations requiring acute OCS or the requirement of long-term OCS.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; EMR, electronic medical record; mcg, micrograms; mg, milligrams; OCS, oral corticosteroids.