Bronchial hyperreactivity in patients with allergic rhinitis: Forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of vital capacity might be a predictive factor
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is considered a strong risk factor for the onset of asthma. Bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) may be present in patients with AR. Forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of vital capacity (FEF25‐75) may be impaired in AR patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of BHR in a large group of patients with AR and whether FEF25‐75 might be related to BHR. Four thousand seven hundred eighty-one patients with AR were enrolled. Clinical examination, skin-prick test, spirometry, and methacholine challenge were performed in all patients. Fourteen percent of patients had severe BHR and 25.3% had mild BHR. Patients with low FEF25‐75 values (such as ≤65% of predicted) had severe BHR more frequently than patients with normal FEF25‐75 values (p < 0.001). In addition, low FEF25‐75 values constitute a relevant predictive factor (OR = 12.9) for severe BHR. This study shows that a relevant percentage of AR patients had BHR, and impaired FEF25‐75 values might predict it. Therefore, BHR should be suspected in AR patients with low FEF25‐75 values.
Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; BHR; FEF25‐75
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, Genoa, Italy
Publication date: 01 March 2011
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