"Can Do" Versus "Do Do" in Patients with Asthma at First Referral to a Pulmonologist.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacotherapy is key in asthma control, including preventing lung function decline, in primary care. However, patients' physical functioning (eg, physical capacity [PC] [=can do] and physical activity [PA] [=do do]) correlates poorly with lung function. Therefore, a better insight into the physical function of patients with asthma is needed, using the "can do, do do" concept.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the "can do, do do" concept in adult patients with asthma at referral for the first time to an outpatient consultation of a pulmonologist.

METHODS: PC was measured using the six-minute walk test and PA by using an accelerometer. Patients were classified into quadrants: low PC (6-minute walking distance <70% predicted), low PA (<7000 steps/d, "'can't do, don't do"); preserved PC, low PA ("can do, don't do"); low PC, preserved PA ("'can't do, do do"); or preserved PC, preserved PA ("can do, do do").

RESULTS: A total of 479 patients with asthma had a median (interquartile range) 6-minute walking distance of 74% (66%-82%) predicted, and walked 6829 (4593-9075) steps/d. Only 29% were classified as "can do, do do," whereas 30% were classified as "can't do, don't do." The Asthma Control Questionnaire and the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire scores were worst in the "can't do" groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Low PC and/or PA was found in most patients with asthma at the index referral to a pulmonologist. An impaired PC is accompanied by a significantly reduced asthma control and disease-specific quality of life. This justifies further studies on safety and efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions, such as physiotherapy.