McDonald MB, et al. Prevalence and incidence of allergic conjunctivitis in the AAO IRIS Registry. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting; Nov. 13-15, 2020 (virtual meeting).
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Incidence, prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis influenced by season, population
McDonald MB, et al. Prevalence and incidence of allergic conjunctivitis in the AAO IRIS Registry. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting; Nov. 13-15, 2020 (virtual meeting).
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Season, study population and methods of examination can significantly influence incidence and prevalence estimates of allergic conjunctivitis, according to a presentation at the virtual American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.
“Prevalence estimates for allergic conjunctivitis vary widely depending on the study setting, geographic area and classification criteria,” Marguerite B. McDonald, MD, FACS, said. “The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III from 1988 to 1994 suggested that approximately 35% of patients experience ocular allergy symptoms and that up to 40% of patients have experienced ocular symptoms at least once in their lifetime.”
To generate real-world evidence on seasonal changes in incidence and prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis, researchers analyzed a study population of 1,038,387 patients positively diagnosed based on ICD-10 codes from the AAO IRIS Registry.
The overall incidence of allergic conjunctivitis was highest in the spring, with prevalence highest in spring and summer, and lowest incidence and prevalence in the winter; there were significant differences between spring and all other seasons of the year (P < .00001). Further analysis showed incidence and prevalence to be higher among female patients compared with male patients (P < .00001) and patients aged 11 to 30 years. Olopatadine was the most reported anti-allergy ophthalmic drop used.
“Real-word data from the AAO IRIS eye disease and clinical registry suggests a much lower prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis (2.8% to 3.5%) compared to some previously reported,” McDonald said.
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