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White paper on peanut allergy - part 1: Epidemiology, burden of disease, health economic aspects.

Allergo journal international

Authors: Lars Lange, Ludger Klimek, Kirsten Beyer, Katharina Blümchen, Natalija Novak, Eckard Hamelmann, Andrea Bauer, Hans Merk, Uta Rabe, Kirsten Jung, Wolfgang Schlenter, Johannes Ring, Adam Chaker, Wolfgang Wehrmann, Sven Becker, Norbert Mülleneisen, Katja Nemat, Wolfgang Czech, Holger Wrede, Randolf Brehler, Thomas Fuchs, Thilo Jakob, Tobias Ankermann, Sebastian M Schmidt, Michael Gerstlauer, Torsten Zuberbier, Thomas Spindler, Christian Vogelberg

Peanuts are Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume or pea family, and peanut allergy is among the most common food allergies and the most common cause of fatal food reactions and anaphylaxis. The prevalence of peanut allergy increased 3.5-fold over the past two decades reaching 1.4-2% in Europe and the United States. The reasons for this increase in prevalence are likely multifaceted. Sensitization via the skin appears to be associated with the development of peanut allergy and atopic eczema in infancy is associated with a high risk of developing peanut allergy. Until recently, the only possible management strategy for peanut allergy was strict allergen avoidance and emergency treatment including adrenaline auto-injector in cases of accidental exposure and reaction. This paper discusses the various factors that impact the risks of peanut allergy and the burden of self-management on peanut-allergic children and their caregivers.

© The Author(s) 2021.

PMID: 34603938

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