Obesity and Allergic Rhinitis: Any Relationship?

Abstract

Objective: Allergic rhinitis is a very common comorbidity in asthma, both in children and in adults, but its relationship with obesity, often associated with asthma, has not been established. The aim of this paper is to ascertain if there is a statistically significant relationship between allergic rhinitis and obesity.

Method: A population search using Primary Care software EMIS on a cluster of 5499 subjects was undertaken to identify prevalence of allergic rhinitis among obese patients.

Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between allergic rhinitis and obesity only in the group aged 5 to 16 years (P = .0003).

Conclusion: Perhaps surprisingly, the relationship between allergic rhinitis could be present, but only in the younger population, while there is a consistent relationship between asthma and obesity.