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Published on: August 7, 2017
Rhinitis and onset of asthma: a longitudinal population-based study
Rafea Shaaban1, Mahmoud Zureik, David Soussan
1Unit 700 Epidemiology, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Paris, France.
Lancet (London, England)
|September 23, 2008
Summary
Rhinitis, particularly allergic rhinitis, significantly increases the risk of developing adult-onset asthma. Even non-allergic rhinitis predicts asthma, highlighting the importance of treating nasal inflammation for respiratory health.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Asthma and allergic rhinitis share a known association, but the precise nature of this relationship requires further elucidation.
- Previous epidemiological and clinical studies suggest a strong link between these two conditions.
- The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) provided longitudinal data to investigate this connection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the onset of asthma in individuals with and without allergic rhinitis.
- To determine if rhinitis, with or without atopy, predicts the development of adult-onset asthma.
- To analyze the risk of incident asthma over an 8.8-year follow-up period.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal, population-based study involving 6461 participants aged 20-44 years across 29 centers in 14 European countries.
- Participants were categorized at baseline into four groups: controls, atopy only, non-allergic rhinitis, and allergic rhinitis.
- Cox proportional hazards models were employed to assess the adjusted relative risk of asthma onset.
Main Results:
- The cumulative incidence of asthma over 8.8 years was 2.2%, with significant differences observed across the four baseline groups (p<0.0001).
- After adjusting for multiple factors, non-allergic rhinitis (RR 2.71) and allergic rhinitis (RR 3.53) were significantly associated with increased asthma risk.
- Allergic rhinitis specifically linked to mite sensitization independently predicted asthma risk (RR 2.79).
Conclusions:
- Rhinitis serves as a potent predictor of adult-onset asthma, irrespective of atopic status.
- The presence of rhinitis, even without allergies, is a significant risk factor for developing asthma later in life.
- These findings underscore the importance of managing rhinitis for asthma prevention.
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