Abstract
Aim:
To identify age- and gender-specific prevalence rates for physician-diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR) and eczema across a whole lifespan.
Method:
Presentations of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema were identified in individuals aged 0 to 65 who consulted their general practitioner at least once in 1998–99 from a population sample of 266,733 in Scotland, and in 1991–95 for asthma and allergic rhinitis in 6,836,063 person years at risk in England and Wales.
Results:
In both sexes asthma presentations peak at 4–6 years whilst eczema peaks in infancy. A second asthma peak occurs during adolescence, earlier in females, at a time when a female predominance for all three atopic diseases is established. Female predominance of eczema presentations are limited to the reproductive period of 15–49 years.
Conclusion:
The patterns of presentations for asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema by age and gender suggest important gender-specific differences in disease predisposition and diagnosis.
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18 May 2007
The authors regret that an error occurred on page 30, caption to Figure 2: The caption 'Patient consultation rates for asthma by single year of age for ages...' should read: 'Patient consultation rates for allergic rhinitis by single year of age for ages...'
01 April 2007
The authors regret that an error occurred on page 30, caption to Figure 2: The caption 'Patient consultation rates for asthma by single year of age for ages...' should read: 'Patient consultation rates for allergic rhinitis by single year of age for ages...'
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Osman, M., Hansell, A., Simpson, C. et al. Gender-specific presentations for asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in primary care. Prim Care Respir J 16, 28–35 (2007). https://doi.org/10.3132/pcrj.2007.00006
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3132/pcrj.2007.00006
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