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Living Near a Major Road May be Associated with a Higher Risk of Atopic Dermatitis

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In the end, we found children who lived 1,000 meters or more from a major road had 27% lower odds of atopic dermatitis compared to children who lived within 500 meters of a major road.


MILWAUKEE (PRWEB)

Research being presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) found an association between the risk of developing atopic dermatitis and the distance an individual lived from a major road, with risks decreasing the farther from a major road the participant lived.

Michael Z. Nevid, MD, primary author of the study, pursued this research after learning about a similar study in Asia. “Traffic-related air pollution is often associated with asthma studies, but a recent study in Asia examined its impact on atopic dermatitis in urban cohorts. We wanted to determine if we would see the same results in the United States as researchers did in Asia.”

The 13-year retrospective chart review examined patients aged 0-18 years in Denver, Colorado. Patients with diagnosed atopic dermatitis were compared to a control group of patients without atopic dermatitis. Residential addresses were then geocoded, with distance from a major road (annual daily traffic of over 10,000 vehicles) calculated using The R Project for Statistical Computing (R).

Researchers examined the proximity to major roads using 7,247 patients with atopic dermatitis and 7,247 matched controls. They found a 21% decrease in odds of atopic dermatitis for every factor 10 increase in distance from a major road. “In the end, we found children who lived 1,000 meters or more from a major road had 27% lower odds of atopic dermatitis compared to children who lived within 500 meters of a major road,” said Dr. Nevid. “This is an early association study, so more work needs to be done to examine the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the association.”

Visit aaaai.org to learn more about atopic dermatitis. Research presented at the AAAAI Annual Meeting, February 24-27 in San Antonio, Texas, is published in an online supplement to The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is the leading membership organization of more than 7,100 allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. The AAAAI is the go-to resource for patients living with allergies, asthma and immune deficiency disorders. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 7,100 members in the United States, Canada and 72 other countries. The AAAAI’s Find an Allergist/Immunologist service is a trusted resource to help you find a specialist close to home.

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