Asthma in United States Olympic athletes who participated in the 1996 Summer Games,☆☆,

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Abstract

Background: Asthma prevalence appears to be increasing in the general population. We sought to determine whether asthma prevalence has also increased in highly competitive athletes. Objective: Our aim was to determine how many United States Olympic athletes who were chosen to participate in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games had a past history of asthma or symptoms that suggested asthma or took asthma medications. Methods: We analyzed responses to questions that asked about allergic and respiratory diseases on the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Medical History Questionnaire that was completed by all athletes who were chosen to represent the US at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Results: Of the 699 athletes who completed the questionnaire, 107 (15.3%) had a previous diagnosis of asthma, and 97 (13.9%) recorded use of an asthma medication at some time in the past. One hundred seventeen (16.7%) reported use of an asthma medication, a diagnosis of asthma, or both (which was our basis for the diagnosis of asthma). Seventy-three (10.4%) of the athletes were currently taking an asthma medication at the time that they were processed in Atlanta or noted that they took asthma medications on a permanent or semipermanent basis and were considered to have active asthma. Athletes who participated in cycling and mountain biking had the highest prevalence of having been told that they had asthma or had taken an asthma medication in the past (50%). Frequency of active asthma varied from 45% of cyclists and emountain bikers to none of the divers and weight lifters. Only about 11% of the athletes who participated in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games were reported to have had exercise-induced asthma on the basis of other criteria that may have been less restrictive. On the basis of these less restrictive criteria, more than 20% of the athletes who participated in the 1996 Olympic Games might have been considered to have had asthma. Conclusions: Asthma appeared to have been more prevalent in athletes who participated in the 1996 Summer Games than in the general population or in those who participated in the 1984 Summer Games. This study also suggests that asthma may influence the sport that an athlete chooses. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1998;102:722-6.)

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METHODS

All athletes who represented the US at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta were required to complete a medical history questionnaire that was designed by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Sports Medicine Division. Questionnaires were given to the athletes by USOC medical staff at team processing in Atlanta, Ga, within 2 weeks before participation in the Games. All US athletes completed and signed the questionnaire. USOC medical staff then reviewed all of the questions on each form

RESULTS

Six hundred ninety-nine athletes completed a medical history questionnaire; 662 were on the US Olympic Team, and 37 were alternates. Responses to the 16 allergic and respiratory disease questions are tabulated in Table I. About 11% indicated an allergy to some medication (question 1), and almost 8% reported an allergy to insects or foods (question 2). More than 15% of the athletes had been told that they had asthma (question 5). A history of chest tightness, wheezing, itchy eyes, and itching

DISCUSSION

We found that 117 (16.7%) of the 699 US athletes who participated in the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games had a history of asthma, took asthma medications, or both. Of these athletes, 107 (15.3%) answered yes to the question “Have you ever been told that you have (had) asthma or exercise-induced asthma?” on the medical history questionnaire, and 97 (13.9%) recorded taking asthma medications. We scored as positive for asthma any athlete who recorded having been told that he or she had asthma, listed

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From a University of Iowa, Iowa City; and b United States Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs.

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Reprint requests: John M. Weiler, MD, T307GH, 200 Hawkins Dr, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242

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