Another causative agent of adult onset asthma : Atopy

According to new research, asthma is also caused by hereditary predisposition. Atopy is a determining factor in new cases on adult-onset asthma and that avoiding allergens may help prevent adults from developing asthma. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) has the study "Are atopy and specific IgE to mites and molds important for adult asthma?" cited.

The study was conducted by Maritta S. Jaakkola, MD, DSc, of the University of Birmingham and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and colleagues. They studied in the Pirkanmaa District in southern Finland with 485 cases of adult-onset asthma and 665 controls. Asthmatics ages 21 to 63 who were diagnosed six months to two years previously participated in the study. Questionnaire asking for information such as personal characteristics and work environment to whether or not they smoked had to be answered by the patients.