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| New research suggests a correlation between cat allergies and asthma, however, early exposure to cats could prevent these conditions. |
A new study from the National Institutes of Health finds that sensitivity to cats may be responsible for 29 percent of allergy-related asthmas, CBS News reports. Using data from the
Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), the study associated allergic sensitivity to cats with a threefold increase in asthma risk.
Researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that more than half of the asthma cases in the United States are linked to allergies. Cat allergy was the strongest predictor of asthma risk of the allergens included in the study, with white oak and an outdoor fungus Alternaria also associated with asthma risk.
“This study confirms that the environment plays a major role in the development of asthma,” said Dr. Darryl C. Zeldin of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
In their study, Zeldin and his colleagues used skin test sample data from 10,508 nationally representative people between the ages of 6 and 59. The researchers looked for reactions to 10 common allergens, including cat dander, Alternaria, white oak, ragweed, dust mites, Russian thistle, Bermuda grass, peanuts, perennial rye and German cockroach.
The study confirms an increase in asthma risk among people with established cat allergies, but does not address the impact of specific exposures to cats. The authors of the study, however, point out that some research shows that exposure to cats, particularly early in life, may be a protective factor. “We are not telling people to get rid of their cats,” Zeldin said. “What we can say from this study is that people with documented cat allergies have an increased risk for developing asthma.”
For more information about the study’s details, visit the National Institutes of Health website.