Long Term Physical Training in Asthma

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This controlled study is undertaken to investigate the effects of a long term outpatient training program on physical fitness and quality of life in elderly asthmatics.

Detailed Description
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Physical training is well known to support a healthy lifestyle. Patients with asthma are often unnecessarily restricted of physical activities or avoid exercise due to the unpleasant experience of exercise-induced dyspnea. As a consequence both children and adults with asthma are less fit than their peers. Like in healthy individuals, regular training supports health in asthmatics. In short-term training programs improvements of physical capabilities have been achieved in children and young adults with asthma. Programs of longer durations than 3 months have not been published in controlled trials. Effects of exercise training on quality of life in adult asthmatics are lacking.

Official Title
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Effects of Long Term Physical Training Once a Week on Fitness and Quality of Life in Elderly Asthmatics

Conditions
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Asthma

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Exercise training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: physician diagnosed asthma non-smoker stable condition informed consent Exclusion Criteria: participation in pulmonary rehabilitation in the past 12 months prior to study inclusion unability to attend training sessions on a regular basis for one year symptomatic coronary heart disease uncontrolled heart failure hemodynamically relevant cardiac rhythm disorders hemodynamically relevant cardiac valvular disorders uncontrolled arterial hypertension hypercapnic respiratory failure severe hypoxemia (i.e. PaO2 <50 mm Hg resp. SaO2 <80% at rest) history of decompensated right heart failure pulmonary arterial hypertension (PA mean pressure at rest >20 mm Hg) severe osteoporosis severe airway obstruction (FEV1 <50% predicted, FEV1 <60% predicted following bronchodilatation) maximum work rate of less than 50 watt during ergometer testing uncontrolled asthma COPD exacerbation severe adipositas (BMI >35 kg/m2)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Exercise training<br>Subjects participate in a once weekly supervised exercise training group, duration of 60 min. | Procedure: Exercise training<br>* Exercise training in outpatient sport groups once weekly with a duration of 60 min each<br>|
| No Intervention: Control<br>Control group receives no intervention | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maximum oxygen uptake | Maximum oxygen uptake measured during unsteady state cycle ergometer test with work increments of 10 watts each minute until exhaustion. | One year | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General quality of life | Assessment of general quality of life using the german version of the SF-36 questionaire. | One year | 
| Disease-specific quality of life | Assessment of the disease-specific quality of life using the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) | One year |