Cats not linked to worse asthma outcomes in children

A comprehensive nationwide study in Sweden has found that living with a cat does not worsen asthma outcomes in children who have asthma or airway allergies. The research, published in Frontiers in Allergy, analyzed data from over 30,000 children and concluded that asthma severity, exacerbation rates, and lung function were similar between children exposed to household cats and those who were not.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children globally and a leading cause of pediatric hospitalization. The Global Asthma Network estimates its prevalence is approximately 9.1 percent for children and 11.0 percent for adolescents, with rates exceeding 20 percent in regions like the British Isles, parts of Oceania, and the Middle East. Known risk factors include air pollution, tobacco smoke, viral infections, obesity, and pre-existing allergies. While anecdotal reports often cite animal dander as a trigger for asthma attacks, clinical evidence on the impact of household pets, particularly cats, has been inconsistent and largely based on small, non-representative studies.

To address this gap, researchers led by Dr. Resthie R. Putri of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm...