Table 2 The clusters and their defining variables among 975 subjects with current cough. The twelve most important variables and 17 variables of special interest expressed, in order of importance. The order was defined by the p value obtained by Mann-Whitney U test or chi-square test between the clusters. The values are expressed by either means (standard deviations) or percentages, unless stated otherwise
Order | Variable | Cluster A N = 608 | Cluster B N = 367 | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Trigger sum | 2.63 (2.22) | 6.95 (2.30) | 3.15 e-98 |
2 | Number of cough background disorders | 0.29 (0.50) | 1.28 (0.75) | 2.35 e-87 |
3 | Idiopathic cough | 73.8% | 12.0% | 3.27 e-77 |
4 | LCQ physical domain | 5.33 (0.76) | 4.25 (0.84) | 2.44 e-68 |
5 | LCQ question 9 a | 6.06 (1.05) | 4.34 (1.52) | 5.45 e-66 |
6 | LCQ total score | 16.4 (2.48) | 13.3 (2.75) | 4.03 e-58 |
7 | Dyspnea with wheezing | 15.1% | 65.4% | 1.87 e-57 |
8 | Strong paints or fumes as a cough trigger | 18.8% | 67.8% | 8,12 e-53 |
9 | Current asthma | 4.3% | 44.1% | 3.38 e-52 |
10 | Current medication for asthma | 12.3% | 57.5% | 2.04 e-50 |
11 | Poor indoor air quality as a cough trigger | 39.3% | 88.0% | 7,67 e-50 |
12 | Strong scents as a cough trigger | 22.7% | 70.8% | 2,98 e-49 |
15 | Chronic rhinitis | 13.2% | 55.9% | 2,48 e-45 |
17 | LCQ psychological domain | 5.39 (0.97) | 4.37 (1.06) | 1.59 e-44 |
20 | LCQ social domain | 5.68 (1.02) | 4.64 (1.12) | 1.74 e-42 |
21 | Number of doctor’s consultations due to cough during previous year | 0.46 (1.03) | 1.75 (2.16) | 1.73 e-40 |
38 | Chronic bronchitis | 22.1% | 58.7% | 3.03 e-30 |
43 | Current medication for allergies | 24.0% | 59.7% | 1.59 e-28 |
62 | Sick leave days due to cough during the previous year | 1.31 (3.23) | 4.39 (7.75) | 1.34 e-19 |
67 | Duration of the cough episode (median, (range)) | 3–8 weeks (< 1 week - > 10 years) | 8–52 weeks (< 1 week - > 10 years) | 1.32 e-14 |
70 | Gastroesophageal reflux disease | 10.9% | 28.3% | 5.84 e-12 |
72 | Cough bout frequency (median, (range)) | Once a day (less than once a week - several times a day) | Several times daily (less than once a week - several times a day) | 1.49 e-11 |
76 | Autoimmune disorders | 9.5% | 24.0% | 1.65 e-09 |
83 | Family history of chronic cough | 40.5% | 58.6% | 7.02 e-08 |
94 | Female gender | 79.9% | 90.4% | 2.43 e-05 |
98 | Body mass index, kg/m2 | 26.8 (5.15) | 27.9 (5.24) | 0.00012 |
120 | Depressive symptoms | 4.2% | 7.9% | 0.020 |
132 | Age, years | 48.1 (10.8) | 49.5 (10.3) | 0.074 |
140 | Current daily smoking | 8.7% | 6.0% | 0.16 |