The burden of allergic rhinitis and asthma

Abstract

Asthma and allergic rhinitis are common health problems that cause major illness and disability worldwide. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis is estimated to range from 10% to 20% in the USA and Europe. Multiple factors contribute to the wide range of reported prevalence rates. These include type of prevalence rate reported (current or cumulative), study selection criteria, age of participants, differences in survey methods, varied geographic locations and socioeconomic status, any of which are significant enough to confound direct comparison between studies. There is no standard set of diagnostic criteria for allergic rhinitis. In most studies, the criteria for diagnosis are based on the subject's reporting, solely by questionnaire and rarely confirmed by skin testing. In addition, most studies focus on hay fever, leaving perennial allergic rhinitis underestimated. Sinus imaging is generally not performed and, therefore, rhinosinusitis not differentiated. Some investigators report 'current' prevalence while others report 'cumulative' or 'lifetime' prevalence. Epidemiologic studies have consistently shown that asthma and rhinitis often coexist in the same patients. The prevalence of asthma is <2% in subjects without rhinitis while it varies from 10% to 40% in patients with rhinitis. Furthermore, the majority of patients with asthma experience rhinitis, which is a factor in the risk for asthma. Despite recognition that allergic rhinitis and asthma are global health problems, there are insufficient epidemiologic data and more data are needed with regard to their etiologic risk factors and natural history. This aim of this review is to enable the reader to discuss prevalence, risk factors and prognosis of allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Five-grass-pollen sublingual immunotherapy tablet for the treatment of grass-pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: 5 years of experience

“…Approximately 500 million people worldwide [6], including an estimated 30-60 million in the USA [4] and 113 million in Europe [8], suffer from AR, and its prevalence is increasing in most countries [2]. It is estimated that from 10 to 30% of adults and up to 40% of the pediatric population have AR [3,9].…”

“…Globally, the prevalence of seasonal ('hay fever') and perennial AR ranges from 7 to 42 and 1 to 13%, respectively, with the former being more common in children than adults [6]. The length of exposure to seasonal allergens is dependent on geographic location and climatic conditions [4]; in Europe, the main pollen season typically occurs from March to July, with slight variations according to latitude [7].Approximately 500 million people worldwide [6], including an estimated 30-60 million in the USA [4] …”

Diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases in Zhejiang Province: A cross-sectional survey

“…Doctors from the specialties of ENT, Respirology, and Pediatrics constituted the majority of doctor resources, especially the specialty of ENT that has the largest proportion. Allergic rhinitis and asthma are among the most prevalent allergic diseases and represent a big burden to society (Braman, 2006;Ozdoganoglu and Songu, 2012). The related research about allergen-induced respiratory symptoms and molecular mechanisms of allergic reactions have been conducted extensively, which has further led to the clinical practice of allergen-specific immunotherapy for respiratory allergies worldwide (Hurwitz, 1953).…”

Efficacy of Flavonoids for Patients with Japanese Cedar Pollinosis

“…Allergic rhinitis now affects 400-500 million people worldwide (Greiner et al, 2011;Ozdoganoglu & Songu, 2012) and adversely affects social life, school performance, and work productivity (Bousquet et al, 2001). The first case of Japanese cedar pollinosis in Japan was reported in the mid-1960s (Horiguchi & Saito, 1964), but now half of the Japanese population have become sensitized to Japanese cedar pollens and 24-29% of the population is suffering from the disease (Kaneko et al, 2005), so that Japanese cedar pollinosis is now rated as one of the most common diseases in Japan (Okamoto et al, 2009).…”