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Table 3 Association of the sum of the risk factors (categorized as 0–1, 2–3, and 4–5 risk factors) with severe adult-onset asthma by using a question-based definition of severe asthma (Sev-Q)

From: Risk factors for severe adult-onset asthma: a multi-factor approach

 

N1 total (n with severe asthma)

OR1 (95% CI)

p1

N2 total (n with severe asthma)

OR2 (95% CI)

p2

0–1

215 (3)

1

 

215 (3)

1

 

2–3

831 (47)

4.24 (1.31–13.75)

.016

829 (45)

4.06 (1.25–13.18)

.020

4–5

269 (44)

13.82 (4.23–45.18)

 < .001

262 (37)

11.62 (3.53–38.25)

 < .001

  1. Bold values denote statistical significance at the p < 0.05 level
  2. Risk factors were male sex, ≥ 2 siblings, ever smoking, NERD, and ≥ 1 other disease. When counting the total sum of the five risk factors, 27 (2.0%), 188 (13.9%), 433 (32.1%), 398 (29.5%), 260 (19.3%) and 9 (0.7%) had 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 risk factors, respectively. The risk for severe asthma (Sev-Q) significantly and gradually increased with the sum of the five risk factors (OR (95% CI) = 2.30 [1.81–2.93] for each additional unit, p < 0.001). NERD = patient-reported NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease. OR = odds ratio. CI = confidence interval. Severe asthma (Sev-Q) was defined as self-reported severe asthma and asthma symptoms causing much harm and regular impairment and ≥ 1 oral corticosteroid course/year or regular oral corticosteroids and/or waking up in the night due to asthma symptoms/wheezing ≥ a few times/month. 1Complete patients in whom the variable data were available. 2More stringent definition of severe asthma by including only those subjects with regular use of inhaled corticosteroid (Sev-Q + ICS)