Risks associated with exercise testing and sports participation in cystic fibrosis
Katharina Ruf, Bernd Winkler, Alexandra Hebestreit, Wolfgang Gruber, Helge Hebestreit, Katharina Ruf, Bernd Winkler, Alexandra Hebestreit, Wolfgang Gruber, Helge Hebestreit
Abstract
Background: Severe adverse reactions (SARs) associated with physical exercise have not been systematically studied in cystic fibrosis (CF).
Methods: Two surveys were conducted to assess the incidence of exercise-related SARs: a caregiver survey asking for complications associated with exercise testing and in-hospital training therapy and a web-based patient survey asking for problems with exercise.
Results: 78 of 107 CF facilities caring for 4208 patients responded to the caregiver survey, 256 patients answered the web-based survey. No SARs were reported for 713 exercise tests. With in-hospital training, the yearly incidence of exercise-related SARs such as pneumothorax, cardiac arrhythmia, injury or hypoglycaemia was <1% each, the respective lifetime incidences reported by the patients were 0.8-6.3%. 67% of the patients reported no SARs with exercise.
Conclusions: Exercise testing is safe in patients with CF. Despite the limitations in quality of data, the incidence of exercise-related SARs appears low in this population.
Copyright © 2010 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Source: PubMed