Epidemiologia chorób alergicznych u ludzi starszych w Polsce

BackgroundThere is a growing allergy problem in elderly patients. The epidemiology of atopic bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis was analyzed in an elderly Polish population.MethodsSubject recruitment was conducted at 16 sites representative of Polish rural and urban areas, and 7711 subjects, including 4246 women with a mean age of 67.1 ± 6.4 years and 3465 men with a mean age of 65.9 ± 8.4 years, were screened. Medical examinations, an original questionnaire, skin prick testing with common aeroallergens and appropriate serum-specific IgE assays were performed.ResultsSuspicion of atopy was diagnosed in 1943 (25.2%) of the 7711 analyzed patients. The average morbidity associated with age and sex in this population was 6.1% (95%CI: 5.7–6.4) for bronchial asthma, 1.4% (95%CI: 1.1–1.7) for atopic dermatitis/eczema, 10.7% (95%CI: 8.5–13.8) for seasonal allergic rhinitis and 18.5% (95%CI: 15.3–20.4) for perennial allergic rhinitis. The most frequent positive results were recorded for the following allergens: D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae and grasses.ConclusionThis study confirms the high prevalence of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma in elderly Polish patients. These findings are comparable to those involving groups of younger individuals with allergies.