Self-reported asthma and allergies in top athletes compared to the general population - results of the German part of the GA²LEN-Olympic study 2008

• Main Authors: Thomas Silke, Wolfarth Bernd, Wittmer Caroline, Nowak Dennis, Radon Katja
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2010-11-01
• Series: Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology
• Online Access: http://www.aacijournal.com/content/6/1/31

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prevalence of asthma and allergies in top athletes is high. However, most previous studies did not include a general population comparison group. We aimed to compare the prevalence of asthma, allergies and medical treatment in different groups of German top athletes to the general population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Prior to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, 291 German candidates for participation (65%) completed a questionnaire on respiratory and allergic symptoms. Results were compared to those of a general population study in Germany (n = 2425, response 68%). Furthermore, associations between types of sports and the self-reported outcomes were calculated. All models were adjusted for age, sex, level of education and smoking.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Athletes reported significantly more doctors' diagnosed asthma (17% vs. 7%), more current use of asthma medication (10% vs. 4%) and allergic rhinitis (25% vs. 17%) compared to the general population. After adjustment, top athletes only had an increased Odds Ratio for doctor's diagnosed asthma (OR: 1.6; 95% CI 1.1-2.5). Compared to the general population, athletes in endurance sports had an increased OR for doctor's diagnosed asthma (2.4; 1.5-3.8) and current use of asthma medication (1.8; 1.0-3.4). In this group, current wheeze was increased when use of asthma medication was taken into account (1.8; 1.1-2.8). For other groups of athletes, no significantly increased ORs were observed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Compared to the general population, an increased risk of asthma diagnosis and treatment was shown for athletes involved in endurance sports. This might be due to a better medical surveillance and treatment of these athletes.</p>