Pharmacotherapy for allergic rhinitis (AR) remains unsatisfying regarding its effect and safety. Barrier protection measures may be the right choice for patients with AR.
Researchers did this study to assess the efficacy and safety of barrier protection measures in the treatment of AR.
We selected relevant randomized controlled trials published. This analysis’s primary outcome was rhinitis symptom scores, overall quality of life, NPIF, and adverse events. Differences were expressed as WMD with ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CIs) for continuous outcomes. Statistical heterogeneity across trials was assessed with the statistic and the I2 statistic.
To reduce the potential risk of bias and heterogeneity, we carried out subgroup analysis according to different types of barrier protection measures. Findings from our meta-analysis show that, compared with placebo, barrier protection measures can yield improved symptomatic control for AR, with no increase in adverse events. Furthermore, barrier protection measures can improve the quality of life and NPIF.
The study concluded that although further studies are still needed, our findings lend support to barrier protection measures as a safe and productive option for the treatment of AR patients.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1945892420912370
