October 7, 2002 – The modernization of living conditions has perverse effects as far as Greenland. In this region still untouched by industrialization, the frequency of allergies has doubled in just ten years.
This is what a study of Statens Institute of Copenhagen1 made with 859 people aged 15 to 80. Between 1987 and 1998, the frequency of people with allergies increased from 10% to 19%. All age groups are affected although the 15-19 age group is even more so.
Researchers cannot yet explain this increase. Various hypotheses are however put forward: the modernization of existence (more time spent indoors), a Western diet and the fact that fewer families now live in more spacious houses (one less close proximity resulting in reduced stimulation of the immune system).
Allergic diseases are now more common in developed countries. The “Portait de santé 2001” produced by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec is a good illustration of this phenomenon. Between 1987 and 1998, all types of allergies experienced a significant increase. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis increased from 6% to 9.4%, asthma from 2.3% to 5% and other allergies from 6.5% to 10.3%.
Among the causes suspected to be at the origin of this increase here and elsewhere, there is pollution, which particularly affects the respiratory system. A European study,2 carried out in 15 cities, shows that an increase of 50 micrograms per cubic meter in daily pollution levels has, among other things, the effect of increasing hospitalizations for respiratory causes by 1 to 3% in patients aged 65 years and over and 1 to 8% hospitalizations for childhood asthma.
Stéphane Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
According to Caducee.net, August 30, 2002.
1. Tyra Grove Krause, Anders Koch, Jeppe Friborg, Lars K Poulsen, Bjarne Kristensen, Mads Melbye. Frequency of atopy in the Artic in 1987 and 1998. The Lancet , flight. 360, no. 9334, 31 August 2002.
2. Quenel P., Zmirou D., Le Tertre A., Medina S., Balducci F., Le Moullec Y., Ritter P., Barumandzadeh T., Dab W. Impact on health of air pollution in urban areas : summary of the results of the APHEA study (Air pollution and Health: a European Approach), Weekly epidemiological bulletin, 1998: 2: 5-7.
