The conclusion comes from a Brazilian study, conducted on more than 400 people, which can change clinical practice by objectively indicating how much the patient should walk
Walking at least 7,500 steps a day – the equivalent of walking for about 30 minutes or walking about 4 km – helps control moderate or severe asthma in adults, in addition to drug treatment. The discovery comes from a study conducted by researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) in collaboration with the University of Londrina (UEL), in Paraná, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
“The results are so impactful that the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology believes this study is practice-changing. This means that, based on these data, health care providers can help patients with asthma by advising them to walk more, control their symptoms and, most importantly, know exactly how much the patient should walk to get the benefits.”says the physiotherapist Celso Carvalhoprofessor at the USP Faculty of Medicine and research consultant.
International asthma guides already say that walking is good and important for health, but this is true for everyone, not just those who suffer from it. The difference in the Brazilian study was to quantify this journey and understand how it is associated with success in treating this respiratory condition. “It is important to highlight, however, that this is a measure that supports pharmacological treatment and should not be abandoned or replaced.“, Carvalho emphasizes.
To reach their conclusion, the researchers monitored 426 individuals with moderate or severe asthma, who were followed in outpatient clinics at USP and UEL. The inclusion criteria were having asthma and not participating in any physical exercise program. For a week, the volunteers wore an accelerometer, a type of watch that works as a pedometer.
They also completed an asthma control questionnaire, which consisted of six questions about specific symptoms, including how they slept, how they woke up, how short of breath they felt, and whether they were able to carry out activities normally.
By analyzing this data, which also included the amount of medications used daily by these patients, the researchers were able to calculate the minimum number of steps associated with fewer reported symptoms.”They were all on the same medication and had not had any recent attacks, so the results were not due to the effect of the medication. But we saw that those who walked more had much fewer symptoms. Now we want to see how we can encourage people with asthma to do physical activity, showing how much it changes their lives“, Carvalho reports.
For the pulmonologist Marcelo Rabahi, of the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Goiânia and professor at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), the fact that the study was conducted in Brazil is important, since asthma is a very common disease in the country. There are no official data, but it is estimated that it affects about 10% of the population.
“Asthma causes the death of approximately 2,500 people per year in Brazil, mostly over the age of 65. Having national data showing that physical activity contributes to the control of the disease is essential and reinforces the importance of encouraging older people to maintain an active lifestyle”comments Rabahi.
For the doctor Einstein, the strength of the study is the fact that it quantifies the exact number of steps that a person should take per day, creating an objective goal for the patient. And this can be monitored in a simple way: via smartwatches that count or even via mobile applications, which can be downloaded for free and also calculate the number of steps precisely.
Major challenges of asthma
Asthma is characterized by the narrowing of the airways, especially the bronchi, where the air passes that carries oxygen throughout the body. When it narrows and the greater it is, the greater the severity of the disease. Several factors influence and become triggers of this narrowing: air pollution, cigarette smoke, mold, allergens (feathers or animal hair), viruses. “Genetic predisposition is involved in the onset of symptoms.”says Rabahi.
According to the pulmonologist, about 5% of asthma patients have a severe form of the disease and often require hospitalization. The main challenges for controlling the disease include improving the diagnosis of asthma in primary care, through continuing education programs for professionals serving the population, and avoiding the excessive and indiscriminate use of drugs just to relieve symptoms – the so-called “bombs”.
“Some bombs only relieve symptoms, they do not cure them. This leads to unfavorable results and even to the disease itself becoming uncontrolled.”warns Rabahi. “We have other inhaled drugs and even immunobiologicals offered by SUS [Sistema Único de Saúde] that control severe asthma well. We just need to diagnose and give patients that opportunity.“
Source: Einstein Agency
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
