Background: Persistent allergic rhinitis often impairs quality of life.

Objective: We assessed the extent to which treating persistent allergic rhinitis with montelukast, desloratadine, and levocetirizine alone or in combination improved quality of life.

Methods: A 32-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study was performed in 2 arms: 20 patients received montelukast 10 mg/d and/or desloratadine 5 mg/d or placebo; 20 patients received montelukast 10 mg/d and/or levocetirizine 5 mg/d or placebo. The treatment periods were separated by 2-week washout periods.
Quality of life was assessed on the day before starting treatment and on the last day of each treatment period using the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire. Sleep problems were also assessed.

Results: In the desloratadine plus montelukast arm, the mean (SEM) quality of life score before treatment was 3.1 (0.41). After placebo, this score was 2.16 (0.43), after desloratadine it was 1.79 (0.38), after montelukast it was 1.48 (0.37), and after montelukast plus desloratadine it was 1.59 (0.37). In the montelukast plus levocetirizine arm, the mean quality of life score before treatment was 2.58 (0.49). After placebo it was 1.78 (0.46), after levocetirizine it was 1.38 (0.42), after montelukast it was 1.36 (0.37), and after montelukast plus levocetirizine it was 1.26 (0.39).

Conclusions: Placebo, montelukast, desloratadine and levocetirizine signifi cantly improved quality of life. Combining montelukast with either levocetirizine or desloratadine gave additional benefits in comparison to each agent alone and could be considered for patients whose quality of life is impaired by persistent allergic rhinitis.

Key words: Persistent allergic rhinitis. Montelukast. Desloratadine. Levocetirizine. Quality of life.