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More than a quarter of elite footballers, screened from top clubs across England, have exercise-induced asthma (EIA), a study has found. Researchers at the British Thoracic Society’s Winter Meeting in London were to call for all top clubs to implement a lun28% of elite footballers in UK have exercise-induced asthma
More than a quarter of elite footballers, screened from top clubs across England, have exercise-induced asthma (EIA), a study has found. Researchers at the British Thoracic Society’s Winter Meeting in London were to call for all top clubs to implement a lung health screening programme to help identify those with airway problems and treat them appropriately. The study, which was the first of its kind in scope and scale, was jointly conducted by the University of Kent and the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, and assessed the airway health and impact of treatment in 97 elite male footballers undergoing pre-season fitness and medical screening. It found 27 players (28 per cent of the sample) demonstrated airway problems by giving a positive result in a breathing challenge, which tested for exercise-induced asthma. Of these, 10 (37 per cent) reported no previous history of asthma or airway problems. Affected players were treated with medication to help reduce any inflammation and narrowing of the airways to increase airflow through the lungs and a follow-up assessment demonstrated reduced airway inflammation and improved lung function on testing. In a small number of players who also... Read more