CLIMATE AND ATOPIC DISEASE

Thundery conditions and short-term changes in temperature and humidity have been linked with exacerbations of asthma. Less is known about the general association between climatic conditions and atopic disease, but Weiland et al (p. 609) have now investigated the question extensively in a study that spanned 146 centres worldwide (the International Study of Allergies in Childhood). At each centre some 6000 children completed written and video questionnaires about their symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in the previous 12 months. Their responses were related to long-term climatic data from the centres using multilevel modelling. Several striking findings emerged. In Western Europe the prevalence of asthmatic symptoms increased by 2.7% for a 10% increase in annual mean indoor relative humidity, …