Allergic reactions more common in north
US study finds link between location and anaphylaxis.
Potentially lethal allergic reactions are much more common in the northern United States than in the south, researchers have found. What links geography and allergy is unknown, but the team behind the discovery suggests that sunlight might be a factor.
Read the story here.
Comments
Could it be that people in the north spend more time inside for more months of the year than their southern cousins? Perhaps they are affected by the off-gassing of the many chemical cleaners in their homes, or any new furnishing that have dyes and finishes that off-gas. Could they grill more indoors (stove top)? Could they be using more teflon treated pots and pans? The only way to get fumes out of the home is to open all the doors and windows, and this is more likely just real common in warm climates.
Posted by: Nell Liquorman | July 16, 2007 12:49 AM
One possible explanation for a latitude gradient for anaphylaxis could
be access to microorganisms by means of access to locally grown fresh
produce. Northern consumers may rely more heavily on processed foods
with lower levels of viable organisms to which the immune system would
react.
Thank you,
jvh
John Van Herwynen, Fermentation Scientist
Posted by: John Van Herwynen | July 16, 2007 12:16 PM
If lethal allergic reactions are increasing as a whole and they are potentially linked to vitamin D deficiencies, could the rise in stronger sunscreens and an active campaign to prevent skin cancer explain this increase in severe allergic reactions?
Posted by: Kelly FitzGerald | July 16, 2007 06:33 PM
This is an intriguing observation, and one way or another might also explain why more kids today have autoimmune disorders (e.g., asthma) than previously. It seems that kids spend more time indoors today than they used to. Either enhanced exposure to indoor 'sensitizing' agents, as suggested by N. Liquorman, or exposure to something beneficial outdoors (e.g., vitamin D generation), might be part of this equation...
Posted by: KT Scott | July 17, 2007 03:05 PM