Allergy,living and learning: Diagnosis and treatment of allergic respiratory diseases in Europe

Background: allergy living and learning (all) is a european initiative designed to increase knowledge and understanding of people living with allergies in order to improve respiratory allergy care. objectives: to investigate diagnostic and treatment patterns associated with respiratory allergies,patients' perception of their treatment,and restrictions on daily activities. methods: using a telephone-based randomized screening method,we recruited and analyzed 7004 patients (aged 16-60 years) with self-reported respiratory allergic disease from 10 european countries. patients answered questions assessing their knowledge,experience,and perception of their condition and its treatment. data analyses were descriptive. results: the most prevalent conditions were allergic rhinitis (66%) and asthma (26%),and the average duration of the symptoms of respiratory allergy was 14.5 years. over 30% of patients had never had a specific diagnostic test. about 80% of patients used medication for their respiratory allergy,and 10% of those not receiving treatment had severe symptoms. one-third of patients were not satisfied with their treatment,and two-thirds experienced restrictions in daily activities. medication was most commonly taken in the form of tablets and nasal spray. allergy-specific immunotherapy was received by 16% of patients. knowledge of specific immunotherapy was low overall and varied widely by country: 30% of patients (country range,10%-52%) had never heard of this treatment option. conclusions: a notable proportion of individuals with respiratory allergy in europe are underdiagnosed,undertreated,and dissatisfied with their treatment. addressing these shortcomings may help to optimize respiratory allergy care and,ultimately,quality of life. © 2012 esmon publicidad.