Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of a group of Swedish elite endurance athletes and a health care-based reference population of patients with asthma.
| Athletes (n=141) | References (n=275) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 21.5 (4.5) | 25.6 (6.4) | <0.001 |
| Women | 79 (56) | 181 (66) | 0.051 |
| Training (hours/week), mean (SD) | 11.7 (4.4) | 4.9 (4.5) | <0.001 |
| Current asthma | 108 (77) | 243 (88) | 0.002 |
| Age of asthma onset (years), mean (SD) | 13.3 (4.5) | 9.8 (6.7) | <0.001 |
| Allergy | 54 (50) | 203 (74) | <0.001 |
| Family history of asthma | 78 (59) | 149 (58) | 0.866 |
| Health care contacts1 | 25 (18) | 75 (27) | 0.031 |
| Shortness of breath2 | 27 (19) | 95 (35) | 0.001 |
The data are presented as n (%) unless otherwise stated; significant p values are shown in bold; 1respiratory-related health care contacts in the previous 12 months; 2shortness of breath following strenuous activity in the previous 12 months; SD, standard deviation.