Coexistence of allergic rhinitis and asthma in Indian patients: The CARAS survey

Asthma patients often suffer from concomitant allergic rhinitis (AR). However, there is paucity of such data from India.

This questionnaire-based survey evaluated the coexistence of AR in Indian asthmatics, and examined the inter-relationship between the two disease conditions.

This survey conducted in ten cities across India, aimed to generate information on exposure to risk factors, history of atopy, the severity of asthma, and treatment regimen in patients with physician-diagnosed asthma.

Data were obtained from 1161 asthma patients (mean age [±standard deviation]: 40.41 [±17.05] years). Prevalence of coexisting AR was found to be 65.24%, with the highest prevalence (80%) in the southern regions of India. Sneezing (71.78%) followed by watery, runny nose (63.59%) were the most common AR symptoms. Majority (72.32%) of the patients had seasonal AR. Coexistence of AR and asthma was significantly associated with the presence of personal and family history of atopy (odds ratio 2.53 and 1.51 respectively; both P < 0.005). Passive smoking, exposure to biomass fuel, and the presence of pets and animals at home were also significantly (P < 0.005) associated with AR-asthma coexistence. Prevalence of AR was found to increase with increasing asthma severity. The usage of oral steroids was significantly higher in patients with coexistent AR-asthma. Sixty-six percent of the patients with coexistent AR-asthma were prescribed intranasal corticosteroids.

The results of the Coexistence of Allergic Rhinitis and ASthma (CARAS) survey highlight the high prevalence of concomitant AR in Indian patients with asthma, and reinforce the need for early diagnosis and guideline-based management of AR in patients with asthma.