http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23632101

Respir Med. 2013 Apr 27. pii: S0954-6111(13)00138-8. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2013.04.009. [Epub ahead of print]

Factors associated with aerobic fitness in adolescents with asthma.

Berntsen S, Lødrup Carlsen KC, Anderssen SA, Mowinckel P, Carlsen KH.

Source

Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: sveinung.berntsen@uia.no.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In adolescents with asthma, information on factors associated with cardiorespiratory fitness levels is limited. The present study aimed to determine if objectively measured physical activity as well as potential relevant factors such as lung function, asthma exacerbations, use of inhaled corticosteroids or skin fold thickness are associated with direct measurements of peak oxygen uptake (V˙O₂peak) in adolescents with asthma.

METHODS:

From a nested case-control study at 13-years in the Environment and Childhood Asthma birth cohort study in Oslo, Norway, 86 13-years old adolescents with and 76 without asthma performed maximal running on a treadmill with V˙O₂peak measured. The sum of four skin fold thicknesses was recorded, followed by wearing an activity monitor for four consecutive days. Lung function was measured by maximum forced expiratory flow-volume curves and body plethysmography. Asthma exacerbations and use of medication were registered by parental structured interview. Data were analysed using multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS:

Vigorous physical activity (coefficients with 95% confidence intervals; 1.73 (0.32, 3.14)) and skin fold thickness -0.35 (-0.41, -0.28)) were significantly associated with V˙O₂peak in adolescents with asthma. Neither use of inhaled corticosteroids, lung function nor number of asthma exacerbations was associated with V˙O₂peak when taking physical activity and skin fold thickness into account. In the adolescents without asthma only skin fold thicknesses was negatively associated with V˙O₂peak -3.5 (-4.1, -2.8).

CONCLUSIONS:

V˙O₂peak appears to be determined by vigorous physical activity level in Norwegian adolescents with asthma and not by asthma-related factors such as use of inhaled corticosteroids, lung function nor number of asthma exacerbations.