Impact of high body mass index on allergic rhinitis patients

Abstract

Background Allergic rhinitis is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world and many studies have been done to find its risk factors. Several studies have shown that there is an association between suffering from allergic rhinitis and increased body mass index (BMI), but no consensus has been yet achieved. Materials and methods There is a case–control study conducted in Imam Ali Clinic in Shahrekord during 2014–2015. Fifty-four participants with allergic rhinitis and 54 healthy persons were selected and their body mass index values were measured. Also, demographic data were collected by a questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS. Results The mean body mass index in the case and control groups were 25.03 ± 3.5 kg/m2 and 23.32 ± 2.80 kg/m2 respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.006). In the case group, 53.7% of participants have high body mass indexes but in the control group, 33.3% of participants have high body mass indexes, with a statistically difference between two groups according to χ2 test (P = 0.04). Conclusion These results indicate a significant association between high body mass index value and allergic rhinitis. We underline that this relationship is more prominent in women