Study finds people of color have more food allergies than whites

CNN
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People of color and low-income people appear to be disproportionately affected by food allergies compared to white, high-income people. What a new study found.

It’s a problem that often goes unnoticed, according to the authors of a study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open. Few population-based studies of food allergy among people of color have been conducted to date, most of which have focused on children. A new study looks at food allergies in all age groups.

Allergic reactions to food occur when exposure causes the immune system to over-activate and attack normally harmless proteins in food.is more than 170 kinds of food reported to cause allergic reactions, according to farean advocacy group for people with food allergies.

Ann allergic reaction to food It can be mild, such as an itchy mouth or hives, or it can be severe enough to cause breathing difficulties and death. In the United States, food allergies cause approximately 200,000 emergency medical emergencies each year. according to fare.

A new study found that Asian, black and Hispanic people are much more likely to report food allergies than white people. Specifically, Hispanics (10.6%), Blacks (10.6%), and Asians (10.5%) were most likely to have food allergies.

Asian and non-Hispanic Caucasians had the lowest rates of severe food allergic reactions. Economically, those with the lowest number of food allergies lived in households with an annual income of $150,000 or more (8.3%).

The study found some notable differences in the types of foods to which people are allergic. among children, Asian children appeared to have the highest rates of tree nut allergies. Asian adults had the highest rates of allergic reactions to shellfish and peanuts.eggs and fins fishTuna, halibut and salmon were the biggest triggers for black kids. Among adults, black adults had the highest rate of allergic reactions to tree nuts. For Hispanic adults, it was chicken eggs and fins. Blacks of all ages with food allergies were most likely to report multiple food problems (50.6%).

A total of 78,851 people in 51,819 households participated in this nationally representative survey between October 2015 and September 2016. The study also looked at how many times people went to the ER because of food allergies and how many had to go to the ER because of food allergies. Epinephrine, an injection that treats breathing problems caused by allergic reactions. epinephrine It increases blood flow through the veins, relaxes the muscles blocking the airway, and helps normalize breathing.

Generally, 11% of adults and 8% of children in the United States have food allergies. shown in previous studies – About 32 million Americans. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that number appears to be on the rise. Among children alone, food allergies increased by 50% between 1997 and 2011. CDC says.

The new study can’t explain why food allergies are on the rise among people of color, but it’s likely not a genetic problem, says Mahdavinia Mahdavinia, associate professor of medicine at Lush Medical’s Department of Allergy and Immunology. said Dr. University of Chicago.

“A large part of it is likely caused by the environmental and socioeconomic factors that influence the environment in which people are born and live as adults,” said Mahdavinia, who was not involved in the study. .

Ongoing research suggests that exposure to certain environmental microbes can affect the gut microbiome (the collection of bacteria that inhabit the human gastrointestinal tract), which can lead to food allergies in humans. Mahdavinia said it seemed to suggest that it could be more susceptible.

Contamination can also be a problem, research result People of color tend to live in more polluted areas, regardless of income. For example, if you live in an apartment with poorly cleaned air vents, dusty hallways, or mold, you may be affected.

It may also be associated with the ‘atopic march’, a lifelong progression of allergic disease. sick baby skin eczemaFor example, inflammatory conditions of the skin fail to adequately protect the body from absorption of further allergens from the environment, high risk Mahadavinia said it could be a food allergy. In the United States, more black children (approximately 20%) than white (approximately 16%) or Hispanic children (approximately 8%) are reported to have eczema. National Eczema Association.

“Is it the microbiome, the disparities that cause other food allergy-related symptoms, or is there something in the environment that causes more food allergies? We don’t entirely know.” said Ruchi Gupta, PhD, co-author of the new study, director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research, and professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Regardless of the reason, Gupta believes it’s important for doctors to recognize that people of color are more likely to have food allergies, and people of color should be tested. It has said. “I think these disparities are a little bit hidden and undiagnosed,” she says.

Mahadavinia said most of the treatment for these allergies involves education.

“Unfortunately, it’s entirely linked to access to healthcare, and if it’s lacking, we have to deal with the consequences, and it’s going to be bad,” she said. .

Gupta said there is no specific treatment for food allergies, other than automatic injections of epinephrine for severe reactions, but some possible options are well advanced in clinical trials.

“If you have an allergic reaction to food, it’s really very important to get a diagnosis and plan for it so that new treatments are available as they come along,” she says. “I don’t want to see such a widening gap.”