title: Food allergy as a risk factor for asthma morbidity in adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between food allergy and asthma morbidity in adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed a cohort of persistent asthmatics from an inner-city clinic. Allergies to food were assessed by patient report of convincing symptoms of acute allergic reactions. Outcome variables included health resource utilization and medication use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of allergy to fish, peanut, tree-nut, shellfish, and seed allergies were 3%, 3%, 3%, 13%, and 1%. Patients with allergies to > 1 food had increased asthma hospitalizations, ED visits, and use of oral steroids (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Specifically, allergy to fish was associated with a greater risk of health resource utilization and increased frequency of oral steroid use (p < or = 0.03 for all comparisons).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-reported allergy to foods was associated with worse outcomes, suggesting that food allergy may be a risk factor for increased asthma morbidity in adults.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. juan.wisnivesky@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Berns
authors.forename: Ethan A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Halm
authors.forename: Hugh A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Scott H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sicherer
authors.forename: Paula J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Busse
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wisnivesky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D012307:Risk Factors