Asthma & Exercise: A Testing Issue?

Research Paper Title

Asthma and Exercise; A Testing Issue?

Abstract

There is an increasing prevalence of allergy and asthma in children in the European population, with most recent estimates in young people showing an atopy prevalence of 20% and an asthma prevalence of 8% (1).

This increasing asthma prevalence has resulted in an increasing number of asthmatics entering the workforce, producing new challenges to industries which have traditionally excluded asthmatics from employment (2). It is not surprising then, that asthma continues to be a significant issue for the military in terms of recruitment and employability (3,4).

With an increasing tempo of operations in austere and remote environments as well as the risks of barotrauma in physiologically extreme environments the military require a thorough, detailed and reliable testing system.