Prevalence and rate of diagnosis of allergic rhinitis in Europe
Open accessAbstract
To measure the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among European adults and the proportion of undiagnosed subjects, a two-step, cross-sectional, population-based survey in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK was undertaken. Step one of the study involved screening for allergic rhinitis by telephone interview, based on history of symptoms and/or self-awareness of the condition. Step two undertook confirmation of allergic rhinitis in a subset of the subjects screened positive; this was performed by a clinical diagnosis conducted in three to five clinical centres per country, including specific immunoglobulin E tests and a disease-specific questionnaire. A total of 9,646 telephone interviews were conducted between February and April 2001. Self-awareness of allergic rhinitis was reported by 19% of the subjects. Physician-based diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was reported by 13% of the subjects. In step two, 725 clinical assessments were conducted between May and August 2001. A total of 411 of patients, who underwent step two, had investigator-confirmed allergic rhinitis. Among patients with investigator-confirmed allergic rhinitis, 45% had not reported a previous diagnosis by a physician. Prevalence of subjects with clinically confirmable allergic rhinitis estimated by combining step one and step two data ranged from 17% in Italy to 29% in Belgium with an overall value of 23%. This large-scale study confirms that allergic rhinitis has a high prevalence in western Europe and is frequently undiagnosed.
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Bauchau and Durham diagnosed Belgian patients via serological IgE testing after a positive telephone screen and reported a Belgian allergic rhinitis prevalence of 28.5%, the highest among the European countries evaluated.
“For example, Bauchau and Durham9 diagnosed Belgian patients via serological IgE testing after a positive telephone screen and reported that Belgium had an AR prevalence of 28.5% (the highest of the European countries evaluated).”
From International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Allergic Rhinitis (2018) · cites this paper as [9]
Step one: telephone interviews says people with a positive screen were invited for clinical examination. Step two: clinical diagnosis says that examination included blood IgE testing, but local investigators made diagnoses according to their usual practice—not by IgE testing alone. Step two: clinical examinations reports Belgium as highest at 29% (rounded); the passages do not state the claimed 28.5% exactly. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe prevalence of persistent allergic rhinitis was found to be higher in both Northern Europe and Northern China compared to their southern counterparts.
“For example, the prevalence of persistent AR was found to be higher in both Northern Europe and Northern China compared to their southern counterparts.9,477”
From International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Allergic Rhinitis (2018) · cites this paper as [9]
The Discussion reports higher prevalence of allergic rhinitis overall in northern European countries than in southern ones. It does not make that geographic comparison specifically for persistent allergic rhinitis, and this study of Europe does not address Northern versus Southern China. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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- Authors
- Bauchau, V., & Durham, S. R.
- Affiliations
- UCB Pharma (Belgium) (BE)
- ORCID
- Durham, S.R.
- Venue
- European Respiratory Journal
- Publisher
- European Respiratory Society (ERS)
- Published
- 2004-11
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 758-764
- ISSN
- 0903-1936 (ISSN-L)
- 1399-3003
- OpenAlex
- W2111692694
- Cited by
- 1,022
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 48 · 2021: 56 · 2020: 49 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 47 · 2016: 66 · 2015: 59 · 2014: 65 · 2013: 59 · 2012: 66
- FWCI
- 13.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- European Respiratory Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- UCB Pharma
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Immunology and Allergy › Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Immunology and Allergy › Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Research
- Keywords
- allergic rhinitis, prevalence, underdiagnosis, physician diagnosis, self-reported symptoms, specific IgE, diagnosis, Western Europe, adults
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Belgium, Cross-Sectional Studies, Europe, Female, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Italy, Male, Middle Aged, Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial, Spain, Prevalence
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