People love their cats. Felines can offer an aloof but unconditional love. But for people who have certain common allergies, a new study suggests cats may increase their suffering, even if they are not allergic to cats.
The study, published in the first July issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found even moderate exposure to cat allergen is associated with greater bronchial responsiveness.
Dr. Susan Chinn and 12 other researchers at the Imperial College of London examined data from 1,884 participants in 20 different centers across Europe. The data measured levels of dust mites and cat allergen in mattress dust samples, and people's sensitivities to four major allergens: cat, house dust mite, Cladosporidium (a common mold), and timothy grass.
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