Table 4—

Relative risk between sputum strategy and clinical strategy from Cox regression models for the time to the first exacerbation and Andersen-Gill models for the multiple exacerbations during maintenance phase

	Time to first exacerbation^#			Multiple event analysis^¶
	RR	95% CI	p-value	RR	95% CI	p-value
All exacerbations	0.61	(0.37–1.02)	0.06	0.71	(0.45–1.12)	0.14
By type of exacerbation
Eosinophilic	0.19	(0.05–0.83)	0.03	0.28	(0.10–0.74)	0.01
Noneosinophilic	0.82	(0.44–1.53)	0.53	1.07	(0.61–1.85)	0.82
By use of LABA
Not on LABA	0.84	(0.44–1.63)	0.61	1.05	(0.62–1.79)	0.85
On LABA	0.40	(0.18–0.88)	0.02	0.53	(0.24–1.14)	0.11
By asthma severity
Very mild to mild	0.99	(0.34–2.81)	0.98	1.34	(0.52–3.46)	0.54
Moderate to severe	0.51	(0.29–0.90)	0.02	0.63	(0.38–1.03)	0.07

RR: relative risks; 95% CI; 95% confidence intervals; LABA: long-acting β₂-agonists. ^#: RR is relative risk from a Cox regression model. ^¶: RR is relative risk from an Anderson-Gill model. Asthma severity was based on minimum daily maintenance fluticasone equivalent dose, very mild: 0; mild: <250 µg; moderate: ≥250–500 µg; severe: >500 µg.