Objective: To review the results of studies that have evaluated the impact of allergic diseases on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQL).
Data sources: We performed a MEDLINE search of the literature published between January 1990 and May 2006 (English language only) on HRQL and allergic diseases.
Study selection: Representative studies that used validated questionnaires that assessed the effect of allergic diseases on HRQL were selected for inclusion in this review.
Results: Allergic diseases can deeply interfere with patients' HRQL, with detrimental effects on the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of life. Numerous validated questionnaires that are now available can easily be adopted; most of them are specifically developed for rhinitis and asthma.
Conclusions: HRQL has become an increasingly important aspect in outcome evaluation in health care research, providing a more comprehensive approach to the patient and proving that nowadays we cannot renounce this tool. Most of the studies evaluate patients with respiratory allergy. Further studies are needed to explore HRQL in other allergic conditions (urticaria, food allergy, sting allergy, drug allergy) by means of specific, validated questionnaires.