The effect of sex on asthma control from the National Asthma Survey.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have demonstrated conflicting results with regard to differences in asthma control between the sexes.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to identify sex differences in short-term and long-term measures of asthma control in adults from the National Asthma Survey.


METHODS
This study analyzed data from the National Asthma Survey (Four-State sample) sponsored by the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Asthma control was compared between the sexes based on short-term (recent symptoms, asthma attacks, and albuterol use) and long-term (asthma attacks, work days lost, and urgent-care visits and hospitalizations in the prior year) measures. Composite scores for short-term and long-term control were calculated based on any single measure of poor asthma control and based on a sum of poor asthma control measures.


RESULTS
Women were more likely to have poor short-term asthma control based on any measure (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.20; CI, 1.01-1.44) or sum of measures (adjusted OR, 1.24; CI, 1.08-1.53) compared with men. Women also demonstrated worse asthma control based on any uncontrolled long-term measure (adjusted OR, 1.52; CI, 1.29-1.79) or sum of measures (adjusted OR, 1.68; CI, 1.45-1.93). These findings were present despite higher reported inhaled corticosteroid use and scheduled health care visits for asthma among women.


CONCLUSIONS
Women demonstrated worse asthma control compared with men with regard to several short-term and long-term measures, despite reporting higher rates of inhaled corticosteroid use and routine asthma care visits. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether these findings are due to differences in health reporting or to pathophysiologic differences in asthma between the sexes.
Temprano
James
J
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA. jtemp1@email.uky.edu
Mannino
David M
DM
D000293:Adolescent; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011788:Quality of Life; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists