Determinants of Exercise Capacity in Children and Adolescents with Asthma: A Comparative Case-Control Study

Asthma is a chronic disease that may affect exercise capacity. Despite the variety of existing tools for assessing exercise capacity, whether patients with asthma have lower exercise capacity than healthy controls and its potential determinants are still poorly understood.

The primary aim of this study was to identify potential determinants of exercise capacity. The secondary aim was to compare exercise capacity, pulmonary function, and muscle strength of children and adolescents with asthma with healthy controls.

Volunteers aged 7-17 participated in the study and were divided into two groups: the asthma (n = 60) and the healthy control (n = 40). Asthma control questionnaire, six-minute walk test, pulmonary function test, maximum inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressure measurements, and 30-second sit-to-stand test (30-STST) were performed.

The study showed that exercise capacity and respiratory and peripheral muscle strength were significantly lower compared to controls (P < 0.001, P = 0.031, P = 0.001, P = 0.025, respectively). Another critical finding was MIP, 30-STST, and MEP were the determinants of exercise capacity in children with asthma (R2 = 0.403, P < 0.001).

Clinicians should not ignore that exercise capacity may be reduced in children and adolescents with asthma and add assessment and training of respiratory and peripheral muscle strength in pulmonary rehabilitation programs.