A Simple Exercise Can Uncover Undiagnosed Asthma

Researchers from the Coalition of Health for Asthmatics in Sports and Exercise and the Center for Asthma and Allergy Care, gave an exercise test to 127, 6- to 18-year olds who had at least one risk factor for asthma. Risk factors were determined by a 10-item questionnaire. The most common risk factor noted by children was a family member having allergies or asthma. For the exercise test, kids ran for eight to 10 minutes. Forced expiratory volume ( FEV ) was measured at five- to 30-minute intervals after the run. FEV is the volume of air that can be forced out in one second after taking a deep breath. It is an important measure of lung function.

The study showed 40 percent of the participants had abnormal test results that indicated the presence of asthma. Only 14 percent had been diagnosed with asthma and were already taking mediation to control their symptoms . About 40 percent of the participants showed a 15-percent or greater drop in FEV after they finished running. A large number of youth and high school athletes were found to have undiagnosed asthma.