Physical activity may help preserve lung function in individuals with asthma

In a study of adults with asthma, active individuals had slightly less lung function decline than inactive individuals.

The study included 1329 adults in Norway who were followed for an average of 11.6 years. Onaverage, active asthmatic adults had 1.5 to 2.1 percent less decline in the FEV1/FVC ratio (forced expiratory volume 1/forced vital capacity) and 44 to 88 mL less decline in peak expiratory flow during follow-up.

If confirmed in other studies, the findings would contribute to the understanding of modifiable lifestyle factors, other than smoking cessation, for protecting the lungs of people with asthma.

"Generally we observed similar annual declines in lung function between physically active and inactive adults with asthma, however there was a slight tendency for the results to favor the active," said Dr. Ben Brumpton, lead author of the Respirology study.