Quality of life in allergic rhinitis.
OBJECTIVE
This review will furnish the reader current information on the importance of quality of life evaluation in patients suffering from allergic rhinitis, the different types of quality of life instruments used, and how they can be used in judging different pharmaceutical therapies.


METHODS
Computer-assisted MEDLINE searches for articles assessing "quality of life" and "outcomes" in rhinitis. Also MEDLINE searches evaluating health-related quality of life in relationship to different pharmacologic treatments in allergic rhinitis.


METHODS
Pertinent abstracts and articles in two broad areas were selected. The first groups were articles in the fields of outcomes, quality of life, allergic rhinitis, and its relationship to health-related quality of life. The second group of articles evaluated different pharmacologic agents' effect on the health-related quality of life of rhinitis patients. Both sets of articles were critically analyzed with important representative studies selected for this review.


RESULTS
Health-related quality of life of patients with allergic rhinitis is impaired as measured by both generic and specific health-related quality of life instruments. Use of second generation antihistamines, intranasal corticosteroids, and intranasal ipratropium bromide have been shown to improve the health-related quality of life of sufferers of allergic rhinitis.


CONCLUSIONS
The measuring of health-related quality of life is assuming a primary position in outcomes analysis in the patient with allergic rhinitis. Studies have documented the validity of using generic and specific health-related quality of life instruments in allergic rhinitis. Each type has its own weaknesses and strengths that the user needs to appreciate. Appraising the role of different pharmacologic agents in allergic rhinitis in improving the patient's quality of life is an important part of proving the medication's worth to the health care community.
Blaiss
M S
MS
Division of Clinical Immunology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, USA. wheezeMD@aol.com
D000293:Adolescent; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*
D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents