Abstract Number: PB0989
Meeting: ISTH 2020 Congress
Theme: Hemophilia and Rare Bleeding Disorders » Hemophilia - Clinical
Background: Many studies demonstrated beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) in persons with haemophilia (PWH): improved bone/muscular development (providing joint protection) and quality of life, reduced risk of injuries. However, PA practice is still controversial in PWH, lacking shared risk-benefit ratio assessment and recommendations.
Aims: This study aimed to assess the risk of PA in a cohort of PWH followed at an Italian haemophilia centre.
Methods: A 5-yr retrospective review of clinical records (2014-2019) of all severity PWH aged 9-65 yrs was conducted, collecting PA type, duration, frequency and exposure over the study period, using 5 risk categories (rated 1-3, Anderson & Forsyth, National Hemophilia Foundation 2005), in parallel with patients’ age, disease severity, comorbidities, replacement treatment and clinical events (bleeding, traumas, injuries, with relationships with PA) were collected.
Results: One hundred PWH (A/B: 84/16, severe: 23/6; mean age 33.9 yrs) were enrolled. Thirteen patients did not report any physical exertion, 87 practiced heterogenous PA and sports (gym 17%, swimming 16%, soccer 13%, bicycling 9%, running 6%) 67% rated as safe-moderate. Physically active or not PWH were comparable regarding disease severity (severe 29% vs 23%), age (mean 33 vs 37 yrs) and total event number (mean, 1.67 vs 1.85), with tendency to significantly lower numbers in physically active PWH (1.22 vs 1.85) after excluding PA-related events. Treatment regimens were comparable in physically active PWH reporting events or not. Calculating a risk score based on risk category and total exposure to PA, the threshold 6 identified higher risk PWH, 43% reporting ≥1 event vs.13% of those with lower score (OR 5.05, 95%IC 1.75-14.6, p=0.002).
Conclusions: In this cohort the large majority of PWH practice PA without increased risk, indeed showing lower numbers of clinical events. Risk score and threshold, possibly useful for individual risk-benefit assessment were identified, to be validated in larger cohorts and extended follow-up.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Polo RM, Coppola A, Napoli M, Quintavalle G, Riccardi F, Matichecchia A, Rivolta GF, Tagliaferri A. Physical Activity, Sport and Haemophilia: An Observational Study on Risk Assessment [abstract]. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2020; 4 (Suppl 1). https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/physical-activity-sport-and-haemophilia-an-observational-study-on-risk-assessment/. Accessed October 2, 2023.« Back to ISTH 2020 Congress
ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/physical-activity-sport-and-haemophilia-an-observational-study-on-risk-assessment/