title: Physical activity and bronchial hyperresponsiveness: European Community Respiratory Health Survey II.
abstract: 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 <or=1, 2-3 and >or=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 >or=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.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U700, Epidémiologie des Maladies Respiratoires, Faculté Xavier Bichat, BP 416, 16 rue Henri Huchard, 75018 Paris, France. shaaban@bichat.inserm.fr
authors.forename: Rafea
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shaaban
authors.forename: Bénédicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leynaert
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soussan
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Antó
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chinn
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Marco
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia-Aymerich
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Janson
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
authors.forename: Cecilie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svanes
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wjst
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Burney
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neukirch
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zureik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001991:Bronchitis; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E