Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the sample
From: Trends in oral corticosteroids use in severe asthma: a 14-year population-based study
Variable | Value |
|---|---|
Total sample | 21,144 |
Female; N (%) | 11,722 (55.4%) |
Age at index date; Mean (SD) | 28.7 (9.4) |
Socio-economic status; N (%) | |
Quintile 1 | 4624 (21.9%) |
Quintile 2 | 4030 (19.1%) |
Quintile 3 | 4077 (19.3%) |
Quintile 4 | 4073 (19.2%) |
Quintile 5 | 3916 (18.5%) |
Unknown | 424 (2%) |
Variables estimated during follow-up | |
Patient years with severe asthma | 40,803 |
Patient years associated with maintenance OCS use | 3348 (8.2%) |
Episodic OCS use; mean number of episodes (SD) | 0.89 (0.79) |
Patient-years with at least one episodic use of OCS; N (%) | 30,684 (75%) |
Patient-years with asthma-related hospital admission; N (%) | 1502 (3.7%) |
Patient-years with asthma-related physician visits; N (%) | |
GP visits | 25,425 (62.3%) |
Respirologist | 1983 (4.9%) |
General internist | 1012 (2.5%) |
SABA canisters used per patient-year, Mean (SD) | 6.2 (5.4) |
Medication Possession Ratio for ICS per patient-year; mean (SD) | 26.7% (29.4%) |
Comorbidity: N(%) | |
Group 1 (Myocardial infarction) | 90 (0.2%) |
Group 2 (Congestive heart failure) | 369 (0.9%) |
Group 3 (Peripheral vascular disease) | 169 (0.4%) |
Group 4 (Cerebrovascular disease) | 173 (0.4%) |
Group 5 (Dementia) | 84 (0.2%) |
Group 6 (Chronic pulmonary disease) | 7818 (19.2%) |
Group 7 (Connective tissue disease) | 641 (1.6%) |
Group 8 (Peptic ulcer disease) | 308 (0.8%) |
Group 9 (Mild liver disease) | 581 (1.4%) |
Group 10 (Diabetes without complication) | 2105 (5.2%) |
Group 11 (Diabetes with complication) | 130 (0.3%) |
Group 12 (Paraplegia and Hemiplegia) | 81 (0.2%) |
Group 13 (Renal disease) | 276 (0.7%) |
Group 14 (Cancer) | 435 (1.1%) |
Group 15 (Moderate or Severe liver Disease) | 67 (0.2%) |
Group 16 (Metastatic Carcinoma) | 78 (0.2%) |
Group 17 (AIDS/HIV) | 162 (0.4%) |