Poor allergic rhinitis control increases the overall costs
Reviewed by Hassan Mohammed

Allergic rhinitis and asthma are common and can have significant effects on quality of life. However, not many studies have focused on the economic effects. The authors of this study performed a large-scale (over 60,000 patients) observational study to analyse the cost of perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) with and without allergic asthma (AA) in French patients. The authors classified persistent rhinitis severity based on type and number of prescribed intranasal steroids, antihistamines and oral steroids. They found that the annual cost for PAR ranges from 111 euros to 188 euros, increasing with severity, with 25% of the cost spent on drug treatment. They also observed that a quarter of patients with PAR will have AA, and in that case the economic cost will double. Authors rightly identified some major limitations of the study, mainly that the diagnosis of PAR and AA was made by GPs. Additionally, they included patients who were prescribed intranasal steroids and antihistamines in two semesters of the year. This study may have underestimated the cost due to the purchase of over the counter medications not being included and overestimated the cost related to sick leave (reasons of leave are not recorded). The authors conclude that the overall cost and utilisation of medical resources increase with the increased severity of persistent allergic rhinitis and with the degree of asthma control being higher with poorer control.

Costs of perennial allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma increase with severity and poor disease control.
Belhassen M, Demoly P, Bloch-Morot E, et al.
ALLERGY
2017;72(6):948-58.