Acute respiratory infections hamper training and competition in cross-country skiers, especially in those with asthma
Acute respiratory infections (ARinf) are one of the leading causes that prevent athletes from training and competing. The aim of this study was to investigate the burden of ARinfs during one season among cross-country skiers. All Finnish cross-country skiers enrolled in the largest national competitions in winter 2019 (n = 1282) were sent a postal questionnaire. A higher proportion of skiers with than without asthma had to refrain from competitions because of ARinf (76.9% vs. 62.2%, p = 0.011) but there was no significant difference in refraining from training (91.2% vs. 83.8%, p = 0.084). In skiers with asthma, the median duration of a single ARinf episode was longer (5.0 days, IQR 3.8–6.8…
Cross-country skiers often experience respiratory symptoms during and after exercise but have a low prevalence of prolonged cough
Background Cross-country skiers train and compete during the winter for long periods of time in subfreezing conditions, which strains the airways and provokes respiratory symptoms. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of exercise-related symptoms and prolonged cough in competitive cross-country skiers versus the general population and to investigate the association between these symptoms and asthma. Methods A questionnaire was sent to Finnish cross-country skiers (n=1282) and a random sample of the general population (n=1754), with response rates of 26.9% and 19.0%, respectively. Results Both groups were mostly asymptomatic at rest, but symptoms were increased in both groups during an…
Development of the International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR): A Modified Delphi Study
BACKGROUND: The lack of centralised data on severe asthma has resulted in a scarcity of information about the disease and its management. The development of a common data collection tool for the International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) will enable standardised data collection, subsequently enabling data interoperability.OBJECTIVES: To create a standardised list of variables for the first international registry for severe asthma via expert consensus.METHODS: A modified Delphi process was used to reach consensus on a minimum set of variables to capture in ISAR: the core variables. The Delphi panel brought together 27 international experts in the field of severe asthma research. The process…
Eosinophilic and Noneosinophilic Asthma
Background Phenotypic characteristics of patients with eosinophilic and noneosinophilic asthma are not well characterized in global, real-life severe asthma cohorts. Research Question What is the prevalence of eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes in the population with severe asthma, and can these phenotypes be differentiated by clinical and biomarker variables? Study Design and Methods This was an historical registry study. Adult patients with severe asthma and available blood eosinophil count (BEC) from 11 countries enrolled in the International Severe Asthma Registry (January 1, 2015-September 30, 2019) were categorized according to likelihood of eosinophilic phenotype using a pre…
High training volume is associated with increased prevalence of non-allergic asthma in competitive cross-country skiers.
BackgroundCross-country skiers have a high prevalence of asthma, but its phenotypes and association with success in competitions are not known.ObjectiveTo investigate, by means of a postal survey, the relative proportions of allergic and non-allergic asthma in competitive cross-country skiers compared with the general population, to study how performance level and training volume are related to asthma and its type and to assess the possible risk factors for allergic and non-allergic asthma in competitive skiers.MethodsAll Finnish cross-country skiers enrolled in the largest national competitions in winter 2019 (n=1282), and a random sample (n=1754) of the general population of the same age …