By Beth Gilbert HealthDay Reporter
The annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology was held from Nov. 6 to 10 in Orlando, Florida, drawing attendees from around the world, including allergy and immunology specialists as well as other health care professionals. The conference featured presentations focusing on the latest advances in the prevention and treatment of asthma, food and medication allergies, and immune dysfunction.
In one study, Diala Merheb, M.D., of the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, and colleagues found that thunderstorms are associated with short-term increases in asthma-related emergency visits.
The authors examined the relationship between thunderstorms and asthma-related emergency visits in Wichita, Kansas. The findings were generally consistent with what has been reported elsewhere. Large-scale events like the 2016 Melbourne thunderstorm-associated asthma outbreak first brought attention to this link, and several U.S. studies, including ones from Minneapolis-St. Paul and Louisiana, have shown similar associations.
“Although this study doesn’t establish cause and effect, it supports existing evidence that weather conditions can influence asthma activity,” Merheb said. “The main takeaway is awareness. Recognizing that certain weather patterns can affect asthma can help clinicians reinforce controller use, review asthma action plans, and remind patients to maintain their regular medications and keep rescue inhalers accessible.”
In another study, Nicole Koulov, a medical student at the University of Texas in Austin, and colleagues found that timely and effective eczema management in children may play a crucial role in outgrowing food allergies later in life.
The authors surveyed caregivers of 855 children from 0 to 12 years of age. An earlier age of onset of eczema, specifically between 4 and 6 months, along with greater eczema severity and longer duration of eczema, was associated with a reduced likelihood of children outgrowing food allergies later in life. The first 50 months of eczema duration was associated with the steepest decline in the probability of children outgrowing a food allergy, indicating this time-period may be especially critical for clinical intervention.
“Focusing on providing clinical treatment for eczema in the first 50 months after the condition’s onset may be especially beneficial in bolstering children’s ability to outgrow food allergy and lower the likelihood of persistent food allergy,” Koulov said.
Philong Nguyen, of the UTMB School of Medicine in Galveston, Texas, and colleagues found that patients with preexisting atopic conditions appear more susceptible to implant-related complications after breast reconstruction, likely due to their underlying immune dysregulation and skin barrier dysfunction.
The authors examined whether preexisting atopic or allergic skin conditions — such as eczema or atopic dermatitis — affect complication rates following implant-based breast reconstruction. Using a large, multi-institutional cohort and propensity-score matching, the researchers found that atopic patients had higher risks for capsular contracture, implant infection, rupture, and revision surgeries across all time points, suggesting a link between atopy-related inflammation and postoperative outcomes. While this study identifies significant associations, prospective studies are needed to establish causation, the researchers note.
“Our findings lay the groundwork for future research exploring the biological mechanisms connecting atopy, chronic inflammation, and fibrotic responses in reconstructive surgery,” Nguyen said. “For everyday clinicians, these results emphasize the importance of recognizing atopic disease as a potential risk factor in implant-based reconstruction. Incorporating this awareness into preoperative counseling, surgical planning, and postoperative surveillance can improve patient selection and outcomes.”
ACAAI: Eczema Onset, Severity Can Effect Child’s Ability to Outgrow Food Allergy
FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The likelihood of outgrowing food allergy is reduced in association with the onset of eczema at 4 to 6 months, greater severity, and longer duration, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, held from Nov. 6 to 10 in Orlando, Florida.
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THURSDAY, Nov. 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For children with atopic dermatitis, COVID-19 mRNA vaccination is associated with a reduced incidence of multiple infections and allergic complications, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, held from Nov. 6 to 10 in Orlando, Florida.
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ACAAI: Breast Implant Complications, Revision Surgery More Likely in Patients With Eczema
THURSDAY, Nov. 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For women undergoing implant-based reconstruction and for patients undergoing bone grafting procedures, atopic diseases are associated with an increased risk for implant complications and revision surgeries, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, held from Nov. 6 to 10 in Orlando, Florida.
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