Asthma and allergic rhinitis in the same patients

This study from Danish general practice gives figures about the simultaneous prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis and the order of onset among 7662 patients, who during 1 year consulted for one or both of these diseases. Twenty-eight percent of patients with asthma consulted because they also had allergic rhinitis, and 17% of patients with allergic rhinitis consulted because they also had asthma. Age- and sex-distributions are presented. In 25% of patients with both diseases the onset of both diseases occurred within the same year, while in 35% the onset of asthma occurred first and in 40% allergic rhinitis. Among patients with both diseases, who did not have onset of both within the same year, more than 75% of them had onset of one disease within 2 years of the other.