Effects of aerobic training on psychosocial morbidity and symptoms in asthmatic patients: a randomized clinical trial.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Asthma symptoms reduce patient\'s daily activities, impair health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and increase reports of anxiety and depression that seem to be related to a decrease in asthma control. Aerobic exercise training is known to improve aerobic fitness and reduce dyspnea; however, its effect in reducing psychological distress and symptoms remains poorly understood. We evaluated the role of an aerobic training program in improving HRQoL (primary aim) and reducing psychological distress and asthma symptoms (secondary aims) for moderate or severe persistent asthmatic patients. METHODS: One hundred and one patients randomly assigned to either control (CG) or aerobic training (TG) groups were studied during the period between medical consultations. Patients in CG (educational program+breathing exercises; N=51) and TG (educational program+breathing exercises+aerobic training; N=50) were followed twice a week during a 3-month period. HRQoL and levels of anxiety as well as depression were quantified before and after treatment. Asthma symptoms were evaluated monthly. RESULTS: At 3 months, the domains (physical limitations, frequency of symptoms and psychosocial) and total scores of HRQoL significantly improved only in the TG (p<0.001); the number of asthma symptom-free days as well as anxiety and depression levels also significantly improved (p<0.001). In addition, a linear relationship between improvement in aerobic capacity and the days without asthma symptoms was observed (r=0.47; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that aerobic training can play an important role in the clinical management of patients with persistent asthma and may be especially useful for patients with higher degrees of psychosocial distress.