Childhood intermittent and persistent rhinitis prevalence and climate and vegetation: a global ecologic analysis
Abstract Background The effect of climate change and its effects on vegetation growth, and consequently on rhinitis, are uncertain. Objective To examine between- and within-country associations of climate measures and the normalized difference vegetation index with intermittent and persistent rhinitis symptoms in a global context. Methods Questionnaire data from 6- to 7-year-olds and 13- to 14-year-olds were collected in phase 3 of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Associations of intermittent (>1 symptom report but not for 2 consecutive months) and persistent (symptoms for ≥2 consecutive months) rhinitis symptom prevalences with temperature, precipitation, vapor…
The hidden burden of severe asthma: from patient perspective to new opportunities for clinicians
Severe asthma is an important topic in respiratory diseases, due to its high impact on morbidity and mortality as well as on health-care resources. The many challenges that still exist in the management of the most difficult-to-treat forms of the disease, and the acknowledgement of the existence of unexplored areas in the pathophysiological mechanisms and the therapeutic targets represent an opportunity to gather experts in the field with the immediate goals to summarize current understanding about the natural history of severe asthma and to identify gaps in knowledge and research opportunities, with the aim to contribute to improved medical care and health outcomes. This article is a conse…
Severe Chronic Allergic (and Related) Diseases: A Uniform Approach – A MeDALL – GA<sup>2</sup>LEN – ARIA Position Paper
Concepts of disease severity, activity, control and responsiveness to treatment are linked but different. Severity refers to the loss of function of the organs induced by the disease process or to the occurrence of severe acute exacerbations. Severity may vary over time and needs regular follow-up. Control is the degree to which therapy goals are currently met. These concepts have evolved over time for asthma in guidelines, task forces or consensus meetings. The aim of this paper is to generalize the approach of the uniform definition of severe asthma presented to WHO for chronic allergic and associated diseases (rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic urticaria and atopic dermatitis) in …
Definition, aims, and implementation of GA [sup] 2 LEN/HAEi Angioedema Centers of Reference and Excellence
This document summarizes the aims of GA2 LEN/HAEi Angioedema Centers of Reference and Excellence (ACAREs) and elaborates the requirements that ACAREs must fulfill to become certified. It also provides (see Appendix S1) background information on GA2LEN and HAEi, including HAEi member organizations and regional patient advocates, on why we need an Angioedema Center of Reference and Excellence (ACARE) program and network, and on the accreditation and certification process, governance and funding, and on the interaction with other GA2LEN networks of centers of reference and excellence. The protocols, aims, requirements, and provisions related to becoming a certified CARE are based on (a) the ex…
The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three: A global synthesis
This ISAAC Phase Three synthesis provides summarised information on the main findings of the study, regional tables and figures related to the prevalence and severity of current symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in the main regions of the world. The large number of surveyed children (≈1,200,000), the large number of centres (233) and countries (98) that participated in ISAAC Phase Three makes this study the most comprehensive survey of these diseases ever undertaken. Globally, the prevalence for current asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in the 13-14-year age group was 14.1%, 14.6% and 7.3%, respectively. In the 6-7-year age group the prevalence for current asthma, rhin…