In 1992 the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (Sociedad Española de Alergología e Inmunología Clínica (SEAIC)) in collaboration with the Allergy and Immunology Laboratory Abelló undertook the first “Alergológica” study with the aim of obtaining epidemiologic, clinical and socioeconomic information on allergic patients seen and treated by Allergology specialists in Spain. In this first study, almost 300 allergologists participated in collaboration with epidemiologists and statisticians who
analyzed data obtained from 4000 patients. “Alergológica-1992” [1] proved to be of great use to Spanish allergologists not only to improve aspects related to the care provided to allergic patients but also as an instrument to facilitate relations with healthcare
authorities.
In 2004, the Governing Board of SEAIC, in collaboration with Schering-Plough laboratories decided to carry out the study once again. From the methodological point of
view it was decided to leave the basic features of the first study unchanged so as to allow the relevant comparisons whilst at the same time taking into account the various
changes that had occurred in the years between the two studies: demographic variations and the new diagnostic and therapeutic developments in the specialty. Thus,
“Alergológica 2005” was born.
For two years the Scientific Committee, the Clinical and Epidemiologic Research Unit of the Luzan 5 Group, the Coordinators and the Regional Supervisors, the Editorial
Board and the 337 indispensable research allergologists belonging to SEAIC worked diligently and rigorously. Data on 4995 patients were finally collected.
The result of this endeavor is an essential scientific study, “Alergológica-2005” [2], which will allow allergologists to determine normal clinical practice and to improve aspects related to the diagnosis and treatment of our allergic patients.
Over the course of the last two years the study has been presented in different international scientific meetings with very positive results. In some European (Italy and
Portugal) and Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Venezuela) similar studies are to be carried out and as a result it will be possible to compare
data from all these countries.
In 2006 the Governing Board of SEAIC decided to publish the most important results of the “Alergológica-2005” study in the offi cial journal of SEAIC, the Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology. In the present issue of this journal the reader will be able to review the most interesting data on the different allergic
disorders and the incidence on the quality of life of our patients.

References

1. Alergológica. Factores epidemiológicos, clínicos y socioeconómicos de las enfermedades alérgicas. Sociedad Española de Alergología e Inmunología Clínica & Alergia e Inmunología Abelló SA, editores. Madrid. NILO Industria gráfica. 1995.

2. Alergológica-2005. Factores epidemiológicos, clínicos y socioeconómicos de las enfermedades alérgicas en España en 2005. Sociedad Española de Alergología e Inmunología. Clínica & Schering-Plough, editores. Madrid. Egraf SA. 2006.