Depression risk in patients with allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Allergic diseases appear to be associated with mood disorders. However, particularly regarding allergic rhinitis (AR), such association has not been adequately systematically reviewed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the association between AR and depression. Methodology/Principal: We performed an electronic search of PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus for observational studies assessing the association between AR and depression. Such association was quantified by means of random-effects meta-analysis, with estimation of pooled odds ratio (OR). Sources of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup analysis. Results: We included a total of 23 primary studies. Of these, 11 studies presented adjusted OR from multivariable regression models and were included in our meta-analysis. Allergic rhinitis was associated with higher odds of depression (meta-analytical OR=1.61; 95%CI=1.32-1.96), with no detected heterogeneity (I2=0%). Conclusions: Allergic rhinitis appears to be associated with high risk of depression. While our results point to the importance of depression among patients with AR, longitudinal studies are needed adopting uniform definitions and presenting results stratified by AR severity.