General characteristics and main differences between group of patients that did not use SABA as rescue medication and the control group that did use SABA at the start of study period
| Variables | SABA-free (n = 101) | SABA (n = 94) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yrs mean ± SD) | 31.5 ± 18.4 | 34.8 ± 17.7 | 0.78 |
| Male/Female | 52/49 | 41/53 | 0.574 |
| History of asthma (yrs mean ± SD) | 18.2 ± 11.4 | 17.6 ± 10.4 | 0.81 |
| ACT (mean ± SD) | 18.2 ± 2.7 | 15.7 ± 6.4 | 0.067 |
| FEV1% predicted | 80.2 ± 10.4 | 79.2 ± 6.1 | 0.3547 |
| FEV1 change post bronchodilator (%) | 10.8 ± 11.2 | 14.2 ± 11.19 | 0.088 |
| Hospital/ED visit 12 months prior (n) | 19 | 18 | 0.347 |
| Subjects with regular ICS (n) | 57 | 61 | 0.0497* |
| ICS dose (mcg) mean (95% CI) | 162.52 (58–347) | 118.57 (63–214) | 0.0512 |
| Poorly controlled asthma (ACT < 16%) | 18 | 16 | 0.543 |
| Daily maximum of rescue medication mean (95% CI) | 0.96 (0.45–1.21) | 1.05 (0.1–1.9) | 0.81 |
SABA: short-acting β2-agonist; yrs: years; SD: standard deviation; ACT: asthma control test; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 second; ED: emergency department; ICS: inhaled corticosteroid; CI: confidence intervals. * p value of < 0.05 is considered statistically significant