Mask Helps With Exercise-Induced Asthma

A novel mask that limits the intake of cold air has been shown to improve lung function in patients with exercise-induced asthma, find Denver researchers.

Researchers at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center and the University of Colorado in Denver tested a heat exchanger mask that warms and humidifies inspired air on two groups of patients with exercise-induced asthma.

In the first group, 13 patients performed two randomized, single blind, treadmill tests while breathing cold air through a placebo or active heat exchanger mask. The second group of five patients each performed three treadmill exercise tests while breathing cold air: one using the heat exchanger mask, one without the mask but with albuterol pretreatment, and one with neither the mask nor albuterol treatment.

In both groups, spirometry was performed before and at 5, 15 and 30 minutes after exercise. In both groups, patients demonstrated improved lung function after exercise with the active device compared with placebo, according to the study appearing in Chest.