Tag Archives: hygiene

Bleach use and allergy

21.11.2009 admin

Here is another paper that supports my long-standing view that the hygiene hypothesis may be wrong

We identified 3626 participants of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II in 10 countries who did the cleaning in their homes and for whom data on specific serum IgE to 4 environmental allergens were available …The use of bleach was associated with less atopic sensitization (odds ratio [OR], 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63-0.89).

yea, it says less not more! And there is another paper that ask about the hygiene hypothesis “Do we still believe in it?”

This has little relationship with ‘hygiene’ in the usual meaning of the word. The term ‘hygiene hypothesis’ is unfortunate, as it is misleading. A better term would be ‘microbial deprivation hypothesis’.

I even think that microbial deprivation is questionable.

Allergy, Vitamins

Tired of the hygiene hypothesis

22.10.2009 admin

A new Thorax review finds

The hypotheses have arisen from a desire to explain epidemiological differences, and those such as the “hygiene” hypothesis had a seemingly corroboratory immunological explanation. However, they have not taken us to the point where we can proudly announce a primary preventive strategy.

I agree with the last statement but have ~~severe~~ doubts on any “immunological explanation” Continue reading Tired of the hygiene hypothesis →

Allergy, Password

Dung hill counting

9.08.2008 admin

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Allergy, Vitamins

One small step for man

11.10.2007 admin

Slowly but surely, the hygiene hypothesis is going to be more and more perforated. A new NEJM paper finds Continue reading One small step for man →

Allergy

Notes on asthma in Africa

27.02.2007 admin

I have just found our most recent PLOS paper about asthma in Africa being published online

As of the 1980s, there was an overall conviction that asthma had an anthropogenic origin with indoor and outdoor air pollution as the main culprits. Following some overinterpreted epidemiological findings of the â€œhygienicâ€ phase, there is now evidence accumulating that the asthma epidemic might have an iatrogenic origin. There might not only be indirect effects of improved living standards and better medical care, there are even direct effects under discussion, for example by oestrogens, vitamin D, antibiotics, and paracetamol. Infant formula (which contains vitamin D) has already entered the food chain in Africa; paracetamol is the most common drug bought over the counter in Ghana. Do African countries offer any unique observations where singular effects of these drugs can be delineated?

An independent review (that I did not know at time of writing) arrived at similar conclusions. We all, however, forgot to mention sensational news as Gambian president Yahya Jammeh can heal asthma click – click – a more serious appraisal click.

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