The perceived risk of bleeding associated with sport, however, may be overstated. To date three studies have examined the association between physical activity and bleeding outcomes in

children with haemophilia [27, 61, 62]. Two studies found no association between level of physical activity and bleeding rates or joint outcomes [61, 62]. A further study which examined the temporal relationship between physical activity and bleeding and adjusted selleck screening library for clotting factor levels in the blood found a moderate transient increase in bleeding risk associated with vigorous physical activity (odds ratio 2.7 for ‘moderate-risk sports’ and 3.7 for ‘high-risk sports’) [27]. Table 2 [27] denotes sporting activities according to their relative risks of bleeding when compared with the inactive state or light activity such as walking. As the proportion of time spent in vigorous activity is usually relatively small compared to Carfilzomib mouse the total number of hours in a week, the increase in absolute bleeding risk associated with physical activity is likely to be small. It is possible, however, that sporting activity impacts on joint health in the absence of clinically detectable bleeds. To date, this association has not been

determined. As expected, rates of bleeding are inversely related to pre-existing levels of clotting factor activity. While the reporting of relative risk may help PWH balance the benefits and risks of sports participation, assessing bleeding risk involves more than just odds ratios. All bleeds are not equal. Take the example of an adolescent boy who wants to play rugby union. While the transient increase in risk of bleeding with this sport is comparable to a sport such as ice skating, the possibility of a serious intra-cerebral bleed is likely to be greater in rugby so this risk might be considered to be unacceptable vs. ice skating which has the same relative risk. The only evidence-based preventative strategy to reduce bleeding episodes

in sport is the administration of prophylactic clotting factor. For every 1% increase in clotting factor level, there is a 2% reduction in bleeding click here risk [27]. There is still debate regarding optimal prophylactic schedules and dosing. In practice, many PWH schedule their prophylaxis around periods of high activity or sport. The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of this approach vs. standard prophylactic dosing regimens needs to be further evaluated in a randomized control trial. Unfortunately, much of the world’s population still has no access to prophylactic clotting factor and this is reflected in the low rates of sports participation and poor fitness levels among PWH in these countries [59]. The impact of the extended half-life products, currently undergoing clinical trials, is cause for optimism in PWH who play sport.