EAACI Guidelines on the Importance of Green Space in Urban Environments for Allergy and Asthma Prevention

The allergy and asthma epidemic in urban societies following World War II is mostly caused by changes in the environment, diet and lifestyle. Disconnection of urban populations from the wider environment has reduced the protective factors building up immunological resilience. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) guidelines on greenness impact on allergy and asthma follow the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and provide eight recommendations encouraging greenness exposure to support immune health. Controlled follow-up studies are still scarce, and the strength of evidence is generally low or moderate at best. For primary prevention of allergy and asthma, most of the evidence indicates beneficial effects. Exposure is also useful for secondary prevention. Asthma patients may feel better and need less medication by combining green space exposure with physical activity. During the high-pollen season, effective seasonal medication is necessary for patients with pollen allergy. In urban planning, implementing appropriate green infrastructure and easy access to green space promotes immune health and reduces risks of air pollution and heatwaves. These EAACI guidelines are the first recommendations highlighting the importance of urban green spaces on immune health and call for prioritising innovative research in this field.

ALLMED Med Res Inst
Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform
University of Edinburgh
Wroclaw Medical University
Medizinische Universität Wien - AKH
Patient Org Comm
European Federat Allergy & Airways Dis Patients As
Brazilian Assoc Allergy & Immunol
Tongji Med Sch
University of Augsburg
Kilimanjaro Christian Med Univ Coll KCMUCo
Universidade Federal do Pampa
University of Arizona
University of Cagliari
University of Oulu
Swiss Institute of Allergy & Asthma Research
Transylvania University of Brasov
University College Cork
Complutense University of Madrid
Philipps University Marburg
University of Colorado System
University of Helsinki
Harvard University
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki