At the 63rd annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) in San Francisco last month, investigators presented findings that children with asthma who live in urban settings often have under-diagnosed and therefore under-managed allergic disease.

A study of 5,250 children with asthma showed that less than half had received a diagnosis of allergies, and among those with an allergy diagnosis, less than half had undergone allergy testing, said presenting investigator Jeanette A. Stingone, MPH, research coordinator, department of community and preventive medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States. In addition, among the children who had been tested for allergies, 40 percent had not received any education regarding the importance of avoiding allergy triggers.

The findings of this study have serious clinical implications because of the strong overlap of asthma and allergies and the consequent importance of allergy management to asthma outcomes such as missed days from school and work.

See How to Decrease Your Total Allergen Load for more on allergen avoidance.