In the last quarter of the 20th century, there has been a big increase in allergic disease among adults, but the cause remains unknown.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, there has been a big increase in allergic disease among adults, but the cause remains unknown.

Allergy is a continuing problem, involving the immune system over-reacting to harmless stimuli. The conditions that result include asthma, hay fever, and eczema.

A team at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London now reports on trends in allergy over the last few decades. They looked at blood samples from a group of around 500 men taken between 1996 and 1998. These were compared to samples from a group attending the clinic from 1981-1982 and 1975-1976.

Tests showed an increase in allergy over time. However, this was not linked to age, nor to exposure to past infection. The study suggests that allergy is really on the increase but the reasons for this remain unclear.

Source
British Medical Journal online 14th April 2005-04-16