Allergy is a major factor in asthma: Study

Recently there is a study on ASTHMA and according to the researchers at NIH, National Institute of Health has found further evidence to support the theory that allergy is a major.

Factor in Asthma

The study was conducted by researchers led by Darry C Zeldin and who are a senior investigator at the National Institute of Environment Health Sciences and Peter Gergen, M.D, M.P.H, of NIAID Division of Allergy Immunology and Transplantation.

Dr. Zeldin said that the new research showed that 56.3 percent of Asthma cases attributed to ATOPY, a condition that resulted from gene-environment interactions and can be measured by a positive skin test to allergies.

“It has long been debated whether people who develop Asthma have a genetic propensity to develop allergies, or atop .This new research shows that 56.3 percent of Asthma cases are attributed to atopy.”

Zeldin and his team pointed out that from the study it was found that CAT ALLERGY was one of the major causes for asthma.

“Sensitization to cat appears to be a strong risk factor for asthma in this study. We are not advocating parents get rid of pets, but if you suspect that you or your child might have cat allergies or get asthmatic-like symptoms, you should consult that exposure to cats, particularly early in life, may be a protective factor against with a physician about the best course of action for your family.” Zeldin said.

The researchers examined approximately 10,500 individuals for the skin test data for ten allergens or allergy causing substances in the environment. 29.3 percent of the asthma cases accounted to a positive skin test reaction to cat allergens, followed by the FUNGUS Alternaria at 21.1% and white oak at 20.9 %

“Each of allergens-specific skin tests was strongly associated with asthma: however, after adjustment by a variety of subject characteristics and all the allergens, only skin tests to cat, Alternaria and white tests to cat, Alternaria and white oak were independently and positively associated with asthma.”

This study tells us that allergy is a major factor in asthma.

But this study also tells us is that there are many people who get asthma who do not have allergies. We need to do more research to understand what is causing the asthma that is not related to allergies.” Gergen said.

Zelding also concluded the following:

1. Study confirmed that the environment played a major role in the development of asthma.
2. Due to complexity of this disease it would not be easy, but if we can prevent, block or reverse atopy, we could reduce a large, proportion of asthma cases.”

The study is issued in Journal of Allergy and clinical Immunology (ANI).