Allergic diseases in the elderly

People 65 years old or more are the fastest growing segment of the population in the developed countries. By 2030, it is estimated that this group will comprise about 20% of the total population, and among elderly persons, the percentage of patients aged above 80 years will increase disproportionately. The prevalence of allergic diseases, in the elderly is estimated around 5-10% [1,2]. Although allergic conditions are often thought of as childhood disorders, the disease often persists into older age and can occasionally make its initial appearance in the elderly.Specific issues that arise when investigating allergies in the elderly patients are several. First of all, the definition of older persons needs to be clarified in order to homogenize nomenclature when addressing this entity. Usually, the term older adults is applied to persons 65 years or older, since it takes into account not only the chronologic aspect of aging, but also the fact that around this is retirement age in many countries. Subclassification into several ranges after this age may take into account increasing frailty, comorbidities and dependence.A number of factors in older subjects contribute to their risk for developing allergic related conditions. These include frailty, coexisting medical problems, memory issues and use of multiple prescribed and non prescribed medications [3]. However, more studies should be designed so as to know the prevalence and particularities of allergy in the elderly since data in this field are scarce. Also, recruitment of older subjects into clinical trials is necessary to provide a reliable evidence base to facilitate the identification of safe and effective diagnostic and therapeutic methods for elderly patients with suspected allergic conditions.The complex process of immunosenescence, the aging of the immune system, affects both the innate and the adaptive immune system. The clinical consequences include not only increased susceptibility to infection, malignancy