Alcohol consumption and the risk of self-reported perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis in young adult women in a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption has been suggested to be associated with the development of allergic rhinitis (AR), but there is limited data on the topic.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing AR among young women.

METHODS: Five thousand eight hundred and seventy Danish women aged 20-29 years participated in a prospective cohort study, and were free of seasonal and perennial AR at baseline (1991-1993). Alcohol consumption was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. The main outcome measures were self-reported information on seasonal and perennial AR debuting during a mean follow-up period of 7.8 years.

RESULTS: During follow-up, 831 women developed seasonal AR and 523 women developed perennial AR, corresponding to 14% and 9%. Alcohol consumption was positively associated with the risk of developing perennial AR. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for perennial AR was 1.78 (95% CI, 1.13-2.80) among women drinking more than 14 drinks/week compared with women drinking <1 drink/week. There was no association between alcohol consumption and seasonal AR. Having one or two parents with asthma was, after adjustment, significantly associated with the risk of developing seasonal (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.65-2.45) and perennial AR (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.70-2.74). Smoking was not associated with an increased risk of developing AR.

CONCLUSION: In this population of young adult women, alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of developing perennial AR.