Demographic details, medication, healthcare use and quality-of-life scores British Thoracic Society Severe Asthma Registry at time of initial clinical assessment
| All (n=770) | Severe non-corticosteroid- dependent asthma (n=328) | Severe corticosteroid- dependent asthma (n=442) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female (%) | 502 (65) | 233 (71) | 269 (61) | 0.003 |
| Age in September 2013 | 50±14.5 | 48.4±15.47 | 50.5±13.7 | 0.05 |
| Caucasian (%) | 694 (90) | 290 (88) | 404 (91) | 0.17 |
| Age (years) asthma diagnosed | 16 (4–35) | 13 (4–35) | 18 (4–35) | 0.38 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 30.3±6.9 | 29.5±7.1 | 30.9±6.7 | 0.009 |
| Smoking status | ||||
| Current (%) | 61 (8) | 36 (11) | 25 (6) | 0.007 |
| Ex-smoker (%) | 210 (27) | 84 (26) | 126 (29) | 0.37 |
| Employment status | ||||
| Full-time employment (%) | 307 (40) | 157 (48) | 150 (34) | <0.001 |
| Not working due to asthma (%) | 198 (26) | 53 (16) | 145 (33) | <0.001 |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 71.27±25.05 | 77.42±25.09 | 66.70±24.05 | <0.001 |
| FEV1/FVC ratio (%) | 65.22±14.96 | 67.91±14.49 | 63.16±15.01 | <0.001 |
| Median unscheduled visits to GP or A&E in preceding 12 months (IQR) | 4 (2–6) | 4 (1–6) | 4 (2–7) | 0.035 |
| Median total number of ITU admissions ever (IQR) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–1) | <0.001 |
| Median hospital admissions in previous 12 months (IQR) | 0 (0–2) | 0 (0–1) | 1 (0–2) | <0.001 |
| Median rescue OCS courses in preceding 12 months (IQR) | 4 (2–6) | 4 (1–6) | 5 (2–8) | <0.001 |
| Median prednisolone dose (IQR) (mg) | – | – | 15 (10–20) | – |
| Median BDP equivalent dose | 2000 | 2000 | 2000 | <0.001 |
| (IQR) (μg ) | (1200–2000) | (1000–2000) | (1600–2000) | |
| Median SABA use (IQR) (puffs per day) | 8 (4–10) | 6 (4–10) | 8 (4–10) | 0.002 |
| HADS anxiety | 8.41±4.82 | 8.18±4.95 | 8.61±4.72 | 0.32 |
| HADS depression | 6.55±4.37 | 5.83±4.41 | 7.15±4.26 | 0.001 |
| EQ-5D | 0.58±0.34 | 0.63±0.33 | 0.53±0.33 | 0.002 |
| EQ-VAS | 55±21.5 | 58±21.9 | 53±20.9 | 0.013 |
| AQLQ symptom score | 3.36±1.45 | 3.72±1.34 | 3.07±1.47 | p<0.001 |
| AQLQ activity score | 3.66±1.30 | 3.96±1.35 | 3.41±1.22 | <0.001 |
| AQLQ emotional score | 3.32±1.58 | 3.74±1.61 | 2.98±1.48 | <0.001 |
| AQLQ environment score | 3.97±1.57 | 4.2±1.52 | 3.79±1.58 | 0.005 |
| AQLQ total score | 3.54±1.24 | 3.86±1.26 | 3.30±1.18 | <0.001 |
| Number of corticosteroid-induced morbidities (%) (online supplementary table E1) | ||||
| 0 | 118 (15) | 82 (25) | 36 (8) | <0.001 |
| 1 | 182 (24) | 105 (32) | 77 (17) | |
| 2 | 171 (22) | 75 (23) | 96 (22) | |
| ≥3 | 299 (39) | 66 (20) | 233 (53) | |
Data are shown as mean±SD unless otherwise specified.
A&E, Accident and Emergency; AQLQ, Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire; BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; BMI, body mass index; EQ, EuroQoL; GP, general practitioner; HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; ITU, intensive therapy unit; OCS, oral corticosteroids; SABA, short-acting β agonist; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.