Patients with Moderate and Severe Asthma Are Physically Actives, but Present Poor Aerobic Fitness

BACKGROUND: The levels of physical activity are extensively studied in COPD than in asthmatic patients. PURPOSE: To quantify the level physical activity in patients with moderate and severe asthma. METHODS: In this study were randomly chosen 45 asthmatic patients clinically treated at least 5 years in a Department of Pneumology (School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo) and without using oral corticosterone and at least one month. Outcomes: lung function (Spirometer KoKo), clinical control (by Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Clinical Questionnaire-(ACQ)6 and 7), quality life by Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), VO2peak (cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), Carefusion System), and levels of physical activity measured by accelerometer PW610 (Yamax) during 7 consecutive days. RESULTS: The Table 1 showed that the patients present a poor asthma clinical control (disease controlled=4%; partially controlled= 22%; Uncontrolled= 73% by ACQ-7) and lung function reduced. Curiously, the asthmatics seems to present a life style active when observed the total steps per day (12,500 (26.6%), and the moderate steps per day (< 4000 (24%), 4000 to 7499 (69%), and 7500 to 10,000 (7%)) too (Graphic 1). However, the patients had a poor physical conditioning (classification: Very Poor =71,1%; Poor= 20.6%; Fair= 6.66%; Good=1%) (Graphic 2). CONCLUSION: Asthmatic are physically active, however, these patients have low aerobic fitness, which is likely to affect the clinical management of the disease. The recommendation is to include patients in the fitness program which could induces improvements in the physical capacity and in the clinical control too.