Childhood eczema and asthma incidence and persistence: A cohort study from childhood to middle age.

This study examined the association between childhood eczema and asthma incidence. A further aim was to examine any effect modification by non-allergic childhood exposures on the association between childhood eczema and both childhood asthma and later life incident asthma. Childhood eczema was significantly associated with childhood asthma and with incident asthma in preadolescence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.70; 95% CI, 1.05-2.75), adolescence (HR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.33-3.46), and adult life (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.28-2.09). Although childhood eczema was significantly associated with asthma persisting from childhood to middle age (relative risk, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.17-2.04), this association was no longer evident when adjusted for allergic rhinitis. Childhood eczema increased the likelihood of childhood asthma, of new-onset asthma in later life and of asthma persisting into middle age. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008;122(2):280-5.