RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Physical activity and bronchial hyperresponsiveness: European Community Respiratory Health Survey II
JF Thorax
JO Thorax
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Thoracic Society
SP 403
OP 410
DO 10.1136/thx.2006.068205
VO 62
IS 5
A1 Rafea Shaaban
A1 Bénédicte Leynaert
A1 David Soussan
A1 Josep M Antó
A1 Susan Chinn
A1 Roberto de Marco
A1 Judith Garcia-Aymerich
A1 Joachim Heinrich
A1 Christer Janson
A1 Deborah Jarvis
A1 Jordi Sunyer
A1 Cecilie Svanes
A1 Matthias Wjst
A1 Peter G Burney
A1 Françoise Neukirch
A1 Mahmoud Zureik
YR 2007
UL http://thorax.bmj.com/content/62/5/403.abstract
AB Background: Identification of the risk factors for bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) would increase the understanding of the causes of asthma. The relationship between physical activity and BHR in men and women aged 28.0–56.5 years randomly selected from 24 centres in 11 countries participating in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II was investigated. Methods: 5158 subjects answered questionnaires about physical activity and performed BHR tests. Participants were asked about the frequency and duration of usual weekly exercise resulting in breathlessness or sweating. BHR was defined as a decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s of at least 20% of its post-saline value for a maximum methacholine dose of 2 mg. Results: Both frequency and duration of physical activity were inversely related to BHR. The prevalence of BHR in subjects exercising ⩽1, 2–3 and ⩾4 times a week was 14.5%, 11.6% and 10.9%, respectively (p<0.001). The corresponding odds ratios were 1.00, 0.78 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.99) and 0.69 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.94) after controlling for potential confounding factors. The frequency of BHR in subjects exercising <1 h, 1–3 h and ⩾4 h a week was 15.9%, 10.9% and 10.7%, respectively (p<0.001). The corresponding adjusted odds ratios were 1.00, 0.70 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.87) and 0.67 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.90). Physical activity was associated with BHR in all studied subgroups. Conclusions: These results suggest that BHR is strongly and independently associated with decreased physical activity. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms underlying this association.