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Consanguinity key cause
of asthma, reveal studies

DUBAI — Consanguinity puts Emirati children at a higher risk of developing asthma and co-related allergies, according to local studies released recently.

A study carried out in the UAE in 2009 reported that there was a significant correlation between the degree of consanguinity and the number of asthmatic children per family since consanguinity is known to increase the burden of genetic disorders among offspring.

The study also found that girls from consanguineous families had proportionately more asthma (42.9 per cent) compared to boys (23.1 per cent).

The UAE is also considered ‘a hub’ for allergies due to factors such as high levels of humidity, increased westernized life styles and food habits like fast foods are some of the factors responsible for the rise in allergies, says an expert, while calling for immediate action.

Outdoor pollution, global warming and smoking are also contributing to the increase in allergies. “Increase in food allergies makes it more imperative to increase awareness among the public and practicing physicians. Food allergies can lead to severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis that can be fatal. Therefore, appropriate labeling of foods especially fast foods that are widely consumed is essential,” says Professor Dr Ruby Pawankar, President-Elect of World Allergy Organization ahead of the inaugural WAO International scientific conference being held in Dubai next month. In a recent study published in the October issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers report that people with food allergies were 3.8 times more likely to have asthma than those without food allergies.

“Allergies are increasing globally but this rising trend is found to be more common in children,” she said, adding that estimates have shown 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma and that the number of people with asthma could grow to as many as 400-450 million people by 2025.

“This prevalence is scary and there needs to be immediate action by policy makers,” adds Dr Pawankar who is also chair of the conference.

Another study to be presented at the conference shows the high prevalence of asthma symptoms and nasal allergies in adults in the UAE due to environmental factors and outdoor pollution. The study carried out on 1,225 people showed that more asthma attacks were seen in Jan/Feb (26.1 per cent) and (19.1 per cent) in@Nov/Dec. Fewer attacks were reported in March/April. A survey published this year by Ann Thoracic Medicine showed that sudden severe attacks of asthma were reported by 64 per cent in the past year. Overall, 52.8 per cent of the children and 17.1 per cent of the adults missed school and work in the past year, respectively. The survey also showed that the current level of asthma control in the UAE is far from optimal.—

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com