Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Among Adolescents with Psoriasis: A Population-based Cross-sectional Study

Few studies have reported an association between psoriasis and atopic comorbidity in adults. A population-based cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the possible association of psoriasis with allergic rhinitis or asthma among adolescents. Adolescents (16-18 years of age) medically evaluated for military service between 1999 and 2014 were included. Medical records were obtained from the database of the Israeli Defense Forces. Of the 887,765 adolescents studied, 3,112 patients had psoriasis (56.1% mild; 43.9% moderate-to-severe). Psoriasis was significantly associated with allergic rhinitis (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.5) and asthma (aOR 1.2; 95% CI 1.0-1.3), compared with controls without psoriasis. Moderate-to-severe psoriasis was associated with allergic rhinitis (aOR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.5) and asthma (aOR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-1.7), while mild psoriasis was only associated with allergic rhinitis (aOR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.6). In conclusion, amongst adolescents, psoriasis was found to be associated with allergic rhinitis and asthma.