The following is a summary of “Core Function in Adults With Severe Asthma and Its Relationship With Breathing Symptoms,” published in the May 2024 issue of Allergy & Immunology by Oliveira, et al.
Skeletal muscle dysfunction may be present in people with asthma, but data on core function in those with severe asthma are limited. For a study, researchers sought to compare core function between individuals with severe asthma and healthy controls, examine differences between males and females, and investigate the association between core function and breathing symptoms.
Adults diagnosed with severe asthma and healthy controls underwent an assessment including three core function tests: partial sit-up, Biering-Sorensen, and side bridge. Breathing symptoms were evaluated using the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, the modified Borg scale, and the Nijmegen questionnaire.
A total of 136 participants with severe asthma (38% male, median age [Q1–Q3] 59 years [45–68], body mass index [BMI] 30 kg/m2 [26–37]) were compared with 66 healthy individuals (47% male, age 55 years [34–65], BMI 25 kg/m2 [22–28]). No significant difference was found between groups in the partial sit-up test (P = .09). However, those with severe asthma performed significantly worse in the Biering-Sorensen test (P < .001) and both the left and right side bridge tests (P < .001 for both) compared to healthy controls. When comparing by sex, males with severe asthma performed better in the left-side bridge test than females. Core function tests were significantly correlated with breathing symptom measures, including the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, the modified Borg scale, and the Nijmegen questionnaire (–0.51 > r > –0.19; P ≤ .03).
Adults with severe asthma exhibited poorer core function compared to healthy controls, regardless of sex. Additionally, decreased core function was associated with increased breathing symptoms.
Reference: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213219824001478
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