Sex difference in prescription of asthma drugs is smaller than previously found

BMJ 1999;319:385 ( 7 August )

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Sex difference in prescription of asthma drugs is smaller than previously found

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EDITOR $---$ We were surprised to see the relation between people's sex and, in those with asthma, their likelihood of being prescribedoral steroids, as found by Sexton et al.¹ We analysed a largerdataset, as they suggest. We included computerised 1996 RNZCGPdata from a consulting population of 201 954 patients (90 214men and 109 079 women; 2661 sex not recorded). The nature andreliability of the RNZCGP database are well established. ² ³ The target patients were in the age band 20-54 years (42 264 menand 55 670 women). Patients were identified as asthmatic if theyreceived a prescription for inhaled corticosteroids, inhaled $beta$ agonists, inhaled sodium cromoglycate or nedocromil, or theophylline(table).

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In our dataset, the raw odds ratio of receiving a prescription for oral corticosteroids is 1.39 (95% confidence interval 1.17-1.65)for women compared with men. This is significant but may haveminor clinical importance. Logistic regression analysis of ourdata using sex and the number . . . [Full text of this article]

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