Multimorbidity in asthma, association with allergy, inflammatory markers and symptom burden, results from the Swedish GA2LEN study

Abstract

Background: Asthma is common worldwide and a large part of subjects with asthma have concomitant allergic multimorbidity in the form of rhinitis and/or eczema. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the presence of allergic multimorbidity in asthma relates to allergic sensitization, allergic and respiratory symptoms, quality of life, inflammatory markers, lung function, use of medication and background factors. Methods: A total of 437 asthmatics from the (GA2LEN) cross-sectional survey in Sweden were grouped depending on the presence of rhinitis and/or eczema. The impact of allergic multimorbidity was assessed in terms of allergic sensitization, allergic and respiratory symptoms, quality of life, type-2 inflammatory markers (exhaled nitric oxide, eosinophil activation markers, periostin), lung function, use of medication and background factors. Results: Subjects with asthma, rhinitis and eczema were more likely to be sensitized to seasonal allergens (67% vs 32%, P