ONLINE SUPPLEMENT
Table S1. Definitions of study variables
Variable
Definition
Nasal congestion
“Do you have nasal block more or less constantly”
Runny nose
“Do you have a runny nose more or less constantly”
Allergic rhinitis
“Have you ever had allergic eye or nose problems (hay fever)”
Attacks of shortness of breath
“Do you presently have, or have had in the last 10 years, asthma symptoms
(intermittent breathlessness or attacks of shortness of breath; the symptoms
may exist simultaneously with or without cough or wheezing)” and “Have you
had these problems within the last year”
Any wheeze
“Have you had wheezing or whistling in your chest at any time during the last
12 months”
Recurrent wheeze
“Do you usually have wheezing or whistling in your chest when breathing”
Waking with tight chest
“Have you woke up with a sensation of chest tightness on any occasion
during the last 12 months”
Longstanding cough
“Have you had a persisting cough during the last year”
Sputum production
”Do you usually have phlegm when coughing or do you have phlegm in the
chest which is difficult to bring up”
Chronic productive cough
Sputum production for at least three months during two subsequent years
Dyspnea
“Do you need to walk slower than contemporaries on level ground because of
breathlessness”
Breathlessness at exertion
“Do you usually have breathlessness, wheeze or severe cough on exertion"
Breathlessness at cold
“Do you usually have breathlessness, wheeze or severe cough in cold
weather"
Breathlessness at exertion in
cold
“Do you usually have breathlessness, wheeze or severe cough on exertion in
cold weather"
Smoking habits
Current smoker
Reported smoking during the year preceding the survey
Ex-smoker
Reported having quit smoking at least 12 months preceding the survey
Non-smoker
Reported neither smoking nor ex-smoking
Water damage at home
“Have you had a water damage at home at any time during the last 10 years”
Visible mold at home
“Have you had a visible mold damage at home at any time during the last 10
years”
Airborne occupational
exposure
Family history of asthma
“Have you been substantially exposed to dust, gases or fumes at work”
Rural childhood
"Did you live in country-side (i.e. not town or suburb) during your first five
years of life”;
Farm childhood
“Did your family live on a farm during your first five years of life”
Working
"Are you currently working"
Sick leave
"Have you been sick listed on any occasion during the last 12 months"
Sick leave due to breathing
problems
"Have you been sick listed due to breathing problems during the last 12
months"
Changed work due to asthma
"Have you ever changed work tasks due to asthma or other breathing
problems"
Hospitalized due to asthma
"Have you ever been admitted to a hospital due to asthma"
Mean age of asthma diagnosis
"How old were you when you had your asthma diagnosis"
“Has any of your parents or siblings ever had asthma”
Table S2. Prevalence of respiratory symptoms and conditions in aspirinintolerant (AIA) and aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA).
Nasal congestion
Runny nose
Chronic rhinosinusitis
Allergic rhinitis
Attacks of shortness of breath
Any wheeze
Recurrent wheeze
Waking with tight chest
Longstanding cough
Chronic productive cough
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
AIA
ATA
p-value
48.9
48.9
43.2
67.0
76.1
80.7
53.4
59.1
47.7
40.9
30.8
26.3
18.2
64.6
60.3
61.8
32.0
31.9
28.2
19.7
<0.001
<0.001
<0.001
0.73
0.003
<0.001
<0.001
<0.001
<0.001
<0.001
Table S3. Risk factors (OR 95% CI) for aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA) and
aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA) by univariate analysis.
Independent variables
Dependent variables
Female sex
AIA vs. non-asthma
OR (95% CI)
ATA vs. nonasthma
OR (95% CI)
AIA vs. ATA
OR (95% CI)
1.81 (1.16-2.84)
1.23 (1.11-1.36)
1.47 (0.93-2.33)
Body mass index
≤20
>20 ≤25
>25 ≤30
>30 ≤35
>35
1
1.12 (0.39-3.19)
1.22 (0.42-3.54)
3.59 (1.21-10.70)
7.53 (2.35-24.16)
1
0.82 (0.67-1.01)
0.95 (0.77-1.17)
1.36 (1.07-1.73)
1.68 (1.22-2.31)
1
1.36 (0.47-3.94)
1.29 (0.44-3.79)
2.63 (0.87-8.01)
4.49 (1.36-14.85)
Age
16-35 years
36-55 years
56-75 years
1
1.61 (0.97-2.67)
0.91 (0.50-1.63)
1
0.79 (0.70-0.89)
0.70 (0.62-0.79)
1
2.05 (1.22-3.44)
1.29 (0.71-2.35)
2.71 (1.73-4.26)
3.56 (3.19-3.97)
0.76 (0.48-1.21)
1
2.29 (1.36-3.85)
1
1.17 (1.04-1.33)
1
1.95 (1.15-3.31)
3.17 (1.92-5.22)
1.01 (0.88-1.16)
3.13 (1.87-5.24)
Airborne occupational
exposure
2.76 (1.80-4.24)
1.43 (1.27-1.60)
1.93 (1.24-3.00)
Visible mold at home
3.73 (2.27-6.12)
1.47 (1.24-1.73)
2.55 (1.52-4.26)
Water damage at home
2.14 (1.30-3.50)
1.22 (1.06-1.41)
1.75 (1.05-2.91)
Rural childhood
0.69 (0.43-1.09)
0.99 (0.89-1.10)
0.69 (0.43-1.11)
Farm childhood
1.04 (0.58-1.89)
0.76 (0.65-0.89)
1.38 (0.75-2.53)
Allergic rhinitis
6.86 (4.39-10.72)
6.16 (5.53-6.86)
1.11 (0.71-1.76)
Chronic rhinosinusitis
11.51 (7.52-17.64)
3.38 (2.93-3.89)
3.41 (2.19-5.29)
Family history of
asthma
Smoking
Non-smoker
Ex-smoker
Current
smoker
Figure S1. Correlation between BMI and peripheral blood neutrophil count
(109/L).