Risks associated with exercise testing and sports participation in cystic fibrosis

Abstract

Background: Severe adverse reactions (SARs) associated with physical exercise have not been systematically studied in cystic fibrosis (CF).

Methods: Two surveys were conducted to assess the incidence of exercise-related SARs: a caregiver survey asking for complications associated with exercise testing and in-hospital training therapy and a web-based patient survey asking for problems with exercise.

Results: 78 of 107 CF facilities caring for 4208 patients responded to the caregiver survey, 256 patients answered the web-based survey. No SARs were reported for 713 exercise tests. With in-hospital training, the yearly incidence of exercise-related SARs such as pneumothorax, cardiac arrhythmia, injury or hypoglycaemia was <1% each, the respective lifetime incidences reported by the patients were 0.8-6.3%. 67% of the patients reported no SARs with exercise.

Conclusions: Exercise testing is safe in patients with CF. Despite the limitations in quality of data, the incidence of exercise-related SARs appears low in this population.