Allergy medications sales: An usefulsurrogate marker for pollinosis health impacts in Alentejo

Abstract

ntroduction:The burden of pollen allergies has been increasingworldwide. Due to their environmental-related aetiology, manage-ment of the disease in a changing environment has proven challeng-ing. Several strategies have been used aiming the monitoring of thedisease health impacts with limited outcomes.Objectives:The aim of this work was to investigate the associationbetween the sale of antiallergic drugs with air allergenic loads andwhether it constitutes a marker for health impacts of pollinosis inAlentejo, Portugal.Results:Olive and Poaceae pollen and their major allergens Ole e 1and Phl p 5 were obtained within the HIALINE project (2010-2011).The pollen was monitored using a 7-day Hirst type sampler and theindexes were determined by the standard methodology. Allergenload was monitored using a high-volume cascade impactor andspecific allergens were quantified by specific ELISA. The medicationsales data (2010-2011) were provided by CEFAR (Centro de Estudose Avaliac~ao em Sa ude, Associac~ao Nacional de Farm acias), and weredivided into two groups: group 1 (G1: medication used throughoutthe year—histamine antagonists) and group 2 (G2: medication usedin SOS—corticosteroids,b2 agonists and a LTR antagonist). Spearman’s test was used in the correlation studies. Sales of anti-allergic medication are higher between March and June (<2-fold) forboth groups compared to the rest of the year, corresponding to theSpring time in Alentejo region. The sales peaked in May, coincidingwith pollen and allergen season peak.Sales of G1 showed association with both Olea (0.735) and Poaceae(0.729) pollen and Ole e 1 (0.776) and Phl p 5 (0.505) allergens.Sales of G2 also correlated both with pollen (0.619 for Olea and0.593 for Poaceae) and allergens (0.658 and 0.437 for Ole e 1 andPhl p 5, respectively). Correlation was stronger when the total pollenor allergen load was considered for G1 (0.744 and 0.627, respec-tively) and G2 (0.675 and 0.743, respectively).Conclusions:In summary, it was observed that allergy drug salespositively correlated with airborne pollen and allergen loads; A stron-ger correlation was observed for G1, particularly when the totalallergenic load is considered. These results suggest that the sales ofG1 medication might be used as a surrogate marker of healthimpacts of pollinosis during the pollen season of highly allergenicspecies in Alentejo region, Portugal.