title: Water-based exercise for adults with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a common condition characterised by airway inflammation and airway narrowing, which can result in intermittent symptoms of wheezing, coughing and chest tightness, possibly limiting activities of daily life. Water-based exercise is believed to offer benefits for people with asthma through pollen-free air, humidity and effects of exercise on physical function.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of water-based exercise for adults with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register of Trials (CAGR), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), PsycINFO, the Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Information Database (LILACS), the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (SIGLE) and Google Scholar on 13 May 2014. We handsearched ongoing clinical trial registers and meeting abstracts of the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the British Thoracic Society (BTS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We included all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of adults with asthma comparing a water-based exercise group versus one or more of the following groups: usual care, land-based exercise, non-exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two review authors (AJG, VS) independently extracted data from the primary studies using a standard form developed for this purpose, which includes methods, participants, interventions and outcomes. We contacted trial authors to request additional data. Data were input by one review author and were double-checked by a second review author.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this systematic review, we provide a narrative synthesis of available evidence from three small studies including 136 adult participants. The studies were at high risk of bias. No meta-analysis was possible because of methodological and interventional heterogeneity between included studies. The primary outcomes of quality of life and exacerbations leading to use of steroids were not reported by these studies. For exacerbations leading to health centre/hospital visits, uncertainty was wide because a very small number of events was reported (in a single study). Secondary outcomes symptoms, lung function, changes in medication and adverse effects, where available, described for each included study. The overall quality of the studies was very low, and no clear differences were noted between water-based exercise and comparator treatments. Therefore, we remain very uncertain about the effects of water-based exercise for adults with asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The small number of participants in the three included studies, the clinical and methodological heterogeneity observed and the high risk of bias assessed mean that we are unable to assess the place of water-based exercise in asthma. Randomised controlled trials are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of water-based exercise for adults with asthma. For future research, we suggest greater methodological rigour (participant selection, blinding of outcome assessors, reporting of all outcomes analysed and registering of the study protocol).
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária, 1105, Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil, 88806-000.
authors.forename: Antonio Jose
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Grande
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Brenda N G
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Andriolo
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riera
authors.forename: Sergio A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Peccin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006173:Gymnastics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods*; D013550:Swimming; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D014867:Water