Doktorand

Institute of Medicine

Studies of the association between asthma, rhinitis and intolerance to NSAID
Application deadline: 2010-02-05

Description of the research project
Background: Asthma and rhinitis has been increasing in terms of prevalence and morbidity all over the world, recently also in developing countries.There are numerous population studies on asthma, however not very many of these include also advanced clinical research methods.Regarding rhinitis, some studies have focused on allergic rhinitis and its connection with asthma.Data about other phenotypes of rhinitis based on population studies are scarce.In clinical settings asthma and rhinitis are closely associated.An often severe form of asthma includes both rhino-sinuitis and intolerance to NSAID.However, these associations have not been studied in detail in population studies using clinical methods.

Aims: 1/ Using a population survey to study how big proportion of subjects with asthma also has rhinitis, and how big proportion of subjects with rhinitis also has asthma.2/ Study whether different clinical phenotypes of asthma are associated with different types of rhinitis, particularly allergic rhinitis, nasal blocking, rhinorrea and rhino-sinuitis.3/ Study the risk factor pattern of different asthma phenotypes associated with rhintis.Studies of the associations between asthma, rhino-sinuitis and intolerance to NSAID will be an overall aim.

Methods: The aims will be answered by using methods common in basic and clinical epidemiology.The study is based on the ongoing West Sweden Asthma Study which includes more than 18 000 participating subjects from the West Gothia region including the city of Gothenburg.The Gothenburg university s large scale research program on asthma and allergy, the West Sweden Asthma Study, allows studies with a high statistical power and good representativeness of the asthmatics and the subjects with rhinitis and intolerance to NSAID reflecting these conditions in society.

Desired background
The ideal applicant will have a good understanding of statistics applied in epidemiologic research.Experience of both database construction and maintenance is of great importance as well as clinical knowledge and experience of clinical research methods particularly in the field asthma, rhinitis and respiratory diseases.



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http://www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/doktorandportalen/Doktor_Fran_start_till_mal/doktorandplatser/