Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Asthma is a complex airways disease that affects over 350-million people worldwide. It is estimated that up to 10% of adults and 2.5% of children with asthma have severe disease, which is associated with reduced physical activity. The introduction of biological therapies has revolutionised the management of severe asthma; however, it remains to be determined whether this translates into improvements in physical activity status. METHOD: This 1-year retrospective study evaluated step-based physical activity (via a smartphone pedometer) in adults with severe asthma (n = 20) and two matched sub-groups (n = 20 mild asthma and n = 20 healthy controls). RESULTS: The annual daily step count was significantly less in adults with severe asthma (4698 ± 1927) versus mild asthma (7239 ± 1815) (P = 0.009) and healthy controls (8252 ± 2115) (P = 0.001). No difference in physical activity was observed between those with mild asthma and healthy controls (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite long-term treatment with biological therapies, physical activity remains significantly lower in adults with severe asthma. The development of personalised evidence-based interventions to promote physical activity in people with severe asthma remains a priority.