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Table 1 Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics for 1:1 matched patients

From: Effectiveness of initiating extrafine-particle versus fine-particle inhaled corticosteroids as asthma therapy in the Netherlands

Baseline Characteristic

Extrafine-particle ICSa (n = 1399)

Fine-particle ICSb (n = 1399)

p-value

Sex, male, n (%)c

471 (34)

471 (34)

N/A

Age, median (IQR)c

43 (32–53)

43 (32–52)

0.091

Year of initiation date, median (IQR)c

2008 (2006–2009)

2008 (2006–2009)

N/A

ICS dose prescribed on initiation date, n (%)

   

  <200μg/d, n (%)

866 (62)

218 (16)

<0.001

  201–400μg/d, n (%)

477 (34)

301 (22)

  401–800μg/d, n (%)

56 (4)

677 (48)

  801μg/d, n (%)

0 (0)

203 (15)

ICS dose on initiation date, median (IQR)

160 (160–320)

500 (250–500)

<0.001

Average ICS daily dose (μg/d, categorized EF-HFA-BDP/ciclesonide equivalent dosed)

   

  0–200μg/d, n (%)

866 (62)

218 (16)

<0.001

  201–400μg/d, n (%)

477 (34)

301 (22)

  401–800μg/d, n (%)

56 (4)

677 (48)

  801μg/d+, n (%)

0 (0)

203 (15)

Recorded comorbidity, n (%)

   

  Rhinitis diagnosis, n (%)

623 (45)

536 (38)

<0.001

  GERD diagnosis, n (%)

513 (37)

437 (31)

0.001

  Paracetamol script, n (%)

28 (2)

47 (3)

0.020

  NSAID script, n (%)

219 (16)

215 (15)

0.834

  Topical corticosteroid treatment, n (%)

433 (31)

374 (27)

0.014

  Oral candidiasis diagnosis, n (%)

14 (1)

11 (1)

0.533

  Rhinitis diagnosis, n (%)

Ciclesonide

18 (1)

N/A

N/A

EF-HFA-BDP

21 (1)

  GERD diagnosis, n (%)

Ciclesonide

0 (0)

N/A

N/A

EF-HFA-BDP

1 (1)

  Topical corticosteroid treatment, n (%)

Ciclesonide

207 (15)

N/A

N/A

EF-HFA-BDP

226 (16)

Respiratory Medications

   

Acute oral corticosteroid prescriptions, <1, n (%)

101 (7)

120 (9)

0.001

Acute oral corticosteroid prescriptions, <1, n (%)

Ciclesonide

47 (3)

N/A

N/A

EF-HFA-BDP

54 (4)

SABA daily dose, n (%)c

   

  0μg/d, n (%)

953 (68)

953 (68)

N/A

  200μg/d, n (%)

57 (4)

57 (4)

  201μg/d, n (%)

40 (3)

40 (3)

SABA prescriptions, n (%)

   

  0, n (%)c

953 (68)

953 (68)

0.251

  1, n (%)

281 (20)

267 (19)

  2+, n (%)

165 (12)

179 (13)

Prior therapy

   

  LABA, n (%)c

21 (2)

21 (2)

N/A

  LTRA, n (%)c

1 (0)

1 (0)

N/A

Asthma control

   

Risk-domain asthma control, n (%)c

1275 (91)

1275 (91)

N/A

Overall asthma control, n (%)c

1241 (89)

1241 (89)

N/A

Severe exacerbations, n (%)c

   

  0

1275 (91)

1275 (91)

N/A

  1

109 (8)

109 (8)

  2+

15 (1)

15 (1)

Asthma-related hospital admissions, n (%)

23 (2)

4 (0)

0.001

Asthma-related hospital admissions, n (%)

Ciclesonide

11 (1)

N/A

N/A

EF-HFA-BDP

12 (1)

  1. GERD, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; LABA, long-acting β2-agonist; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; N/A: not applicable; SABA, short-acting β2-agonist; initiation date: the date when patients received their first prescription of extrafine-particle ICS (ciclesonide or EF-HFA-BDP), or fine-particle ICS (fluticasone or Non-EF-BDP)
  2. aExtrafine-particle ICS: ciclesonide; hydrofluoroalkane beclomethasone dipropionate (EF-HFA-BDP)
  3. bFine-particle ICS: non-extrafine-particle beclomethasone dipropionate (Non-EF-BDP); fluticasone propionate
  4. cMatching variable
  5. dAverage ICS daily dose calculated as [(number of inhalers * doses per inhaler / 365) * µg strength]