Long-term Benefits of Allergen Immunotherapy: Implications for Allergic Rhinitis Management

A decade-long study shows that allergen immunotherapy (AIT) substantially alters the natural history of local allergic rhinitis (LAR). Treated patients had markedly lower progression to clinical asthma and far fewer new allergic sensitizations over a 10‑year follow-up, creating a clear long‑term outcome separation from matched, untreated controls.

The study involved prospective cohort of roughly 66 patients followed for 10 years. AIT recipients completed multicourse treatment and then underwent extended surveillance. The summary reports superior symptom scores, fewer new sensitizations, improved FEV1, and better quality‑of‑life outcomes in treated patients versus controls.

The researchers reported asthma in approximately 8.0% of treated patients versus 40.7% of controls, and new sensitizations in roughly 6.3% versus 38.2% — differences that imply large absolute risk reductions.

Implementing AIT clinically requires careful patient selection, long‑term follow‑up, and targeted outcome monitoring to capture the full magnitude of benefit.