Brussels, 07/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - At the forthcoming Olympic Games to be held in Beijing in August, a team from a European research network will follow athletes from ten European countries, to study allergies and asthma and identify differences in prevalence between a range of sports and between regions. Around 20% of summer sports athletes suffer from asthma, according to a number of studies. The highest prevalence is found in those involved in endurance sports, such as running, swimming and cycling, due possibly to the prolonged periods with highly increased ventilation. The GA²LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma European Network) will follow sportsmen and women from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, a press release says. Up to 2,000 athletes - depending on how many athletes qualify from each of the above countries - will be checked before, during and after the Games with regular clinical examinations measuring their lung function, bronchial responsiveness and asthma symptoms. Allergies will be tested with a skin prick test. A respiratory laboratory will be available in the Olympic Village in Beijing to provide care for athletes, in accordance with doping regulations. Clinical follow-up should also allow assessment of the impact of the local environment on the athletes' health. The results of the study will be published in the Allergy journal in January 2009. The study was announced on 6 May, to coincide with World Asthma Day. Worldwide, asthma affects over 300 million people, according to a study carried out in 2004. In Europe, there are around 30 million asthmatics, with 6 million suffering severe symptoms. (B.C.)