TY - JOUR T1 - Late-breaking abstract: Gender differences in asthma and allergies in relation to sports JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 44 IS - Suppl 58 SP - P3014 AU - Kerstin Romberg AU - Ellen Tufvesson AU - Leif Bjermer Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P3014.abstract N2 - Asthma and allergic diseases are common among adolescents. Before puberty the prevalence of asthma is higher in boys than in girls. A gender switch occurs in adolescence.The aim of the study was to investigate sex-related differences according to symptoms and treatment of asthma among elite athletes and a reference group.Methods: Adolescent elite swimmers (n=101), tennis players (n=86) and a reference group (n=1628) answered a questionnaire about respiratory symptoms, allergy and health Atopy was assessed by skin prick tests and fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide. The athletes performed a mannitol provocation test and a sport-specific exercise provocation test.Results: Asthma symptoms during the last 12 months were common in all groups. The females, regardless of group, reference group 29.1% and athlete group 56.4%, reported more current asthma symptoms than the males, reference group 22.3%, athletes 40.2%. The female athletes had more positive mannitol provocations (48.7% females, 35.8% males). The female swimmers were also more often positive in exercise provocation tests, (35.6%) than their male colleagues (15.1% ). At the same time there were no differences in physician-diagnosed asthma or in the treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. The FeNO values were higher among the male athletes (p=0.021). There was no difference in the frequency of positive skin prick tests.Conclusion: We found a higher prevalence of asthma symptoms in the female groups. The frequency of doctor diagnosed asthma and the prescription of inhaled corticosteroids were the same independent of gender. This could be in line with tendency of not being sufficiently aware of the asthma diagnose in females. ER -