The New Women's Health Threat: Asthma
Fitness magazine
4/2008

Though you might expect respiratory disease to be an equal-opportunity illness, "asthma is really a women's disease." "The million-dollar question is why?" says Dr. Jonathan Parsons, associate director of Ohio State University's Asthma Center. Eighty to 90 percent of chronic asthma sufferers list exercise as one of the top reasons they have difficulty breathing or developing a full-blown attack, reports Dr. Parsons. "But there's another 10 to 15 percent of the general population who experience wheezing and chest tightness only during a workout, which is called 'exercise-induced' asthma." "Athletes tend to be a high-achieving bunch, so they often assume that shortness of breath is just part of the deal," says Dr. Parsons.
 
This item resulted from a multi-media news story and a news release distributed by OSU Medical Center Media Relations, available on the Web at: http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/mediaroom/press/article.cfm?ID=3406