Baseline characteristics of study patients
| Control (n=29) | Buteyko (n=30) | PCLE (n=30) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Values are mean (SD) unless stated otherwise. | |||
| PCLE=Pink City Lung Exerciser; FEV1=forced expiratory volume in 1 second; PD20=dose of methacholine provoking a fall in FEV1 of 20% or more. | |||
| *More detailed quality of life baseline measurements are available online in table 1b at www.thoraxjnl.com/supplemental. | |||
| Age (years) | 47 (11) | 40 (11) | 45 (13) |
| M/F | 18/11 | 15/15 | 16/14 |
| Inhaled corticosteroid dose (μg) | 603 (330) | 757 (370) | 608 (529) |
| Never/ex-smokers | 16/13 | 20/10 | 15/15 |
| Duration of asthma (years) | 23 (15.3) | 24 (14.7) | 23 (14.1) |
| FEV1 (l) | 2.71 (0.89) | 2.58 (0.76) | 2.64 (0.94) |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 82 (21.1) | 77 (16.4) | 80 (17.6) |
| Reversibility (%) | 17 (8.3) | 19 (13.3) | 16 (6.2) |
| Median (IQR) β2 agonist use (puffs/day) | 2 (0–3.8) | 2 (0–4) | 2 (0–4) |
| Geometric mean (IQR) PD20 methacholine (μmol) | 0.66 (0.2–2.1) | 0.19 (0.07–0.6) | 0.65 (0.2–2.8) |
| Median (IQR) symptom score | 3.5 (2–5.8) | 4 (2.8–5.3) | 4 (3–6) |
| Overall asthma quality of life score* | 5.0 (0.8) | 5.1 (1.0) | 4.9 (0.8) |