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P. Gaig1, M. Olona1,
D. Muñoz Lejarazu2, M.T. Caballero3,
F.J. Domínguez4, S. Echechipia5,
J.L. García Abujeta6, M. A. Gonzalo7,
R. Lleonart8, C. Martínez Cócera9,
A. Rodríguez5 , M. Ferrer10 |
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1 Allergy Unit, Hospital Universitari
Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona;
2 Department of Allergy and Immunology, Santiago Apostol
Hospital, Vitoria-Gasteiz;
3 Allergy Service, Hospital La Paz, Madrid;
4 Allergy unit, Hospital Virgen de la Concha, Zamora;
5 Allergy Service, Hospital Virgen del Camino, Pamplona,
Navarra;
6 Centro de Especialidades, Alicante;
7 Hospital Infanta Cristina, Badajoz;
8 Hospital General Manresa,Barcelona; Department of
Allergy
9 Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid;
10 Department of Allergy, Clinica Universitaria,
University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain |
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Abstract |
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Background:
In spite of the
frequency of chronic
urticaria there are
very few
epidemiological
studies of its
prevalence and
distribution.
Objective: We
wanted to approach
the real prevalence
of chronic urticaria
in a population-based
study and to depict
demographic
distribution and
personal perception
of the disease. We
also wanted to
describe the
frequency of acute
urticaria episodes
in the population
studied.
Methods: We
conducted a
population-based
study among adults
in Spain. We
questioned 5003
individuals after
calculating a sample
size for a maximum
variability (conservative
approach p=q=0.5)
Results: We
found a 0.6% (95% CI:
0.4-0.8) prevalence
of chronic
urticaria. The
prevalence is
significantly higher
in women than in men
with a OR=3.82 (95%CI
1.56-9.37). Chronic
urticaria is a self-limited
disease, yet in 8.7%
of cases chronic
urticaria lasts from
one to 5 years and
in 11.3%, for more
than 5 years. The
average age of onset
is 40 years.
Conclusions: We
offer large
epidemiology study
data on the
prevalence of
chronic urticaria.
The prevalence of
chronic urticaria
has not yet been
defined in an adult
population-based
study. With this
work we offer such
data to describe the
prevalence and
features of this
disease.
Keywords:
Chronic urticaria,
prevalence,
population based
survey study, phone
interview,
epidemiology |
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