Impact of comorbidity on symptomatology in various types of environmental intolerance in a general Swedish and Finnish adult population

Authors: Nordin S, Köteles F, Witthöft M, Van den Bergh O, Nyback MH, Sainio M

Year: 2023 Apr 18

Category: Environmental Health

Journal: Environ Res

Institution: Västerbotten (Sweden) and Österbotten (Finland) Environmental Health Studies

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115945

URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37080270/

Abstract

Overview

Comorbidity with various health conditions is common in environmental intolerances (EIs), which hinders their distinct symptom identification.

Findings

  • Prevalence of Symptoms: The study assessed the prevalence of a broad range of specific symptoms across different EIs including chemical, building-related, electromagnetic field (EMF)-related, and sound EI.
  • Prevalence in Exclusive EIs: Symptoms in exclusive EIs were also studied, focusing on those that cannot be referred to functional somatic syndromes, inflammatory diseases, or mental disorders.
  • Associations: Results indicated that while all EIs showed a significantly higher prevalence of symptoms compared to referents, only chemical intolerance showed a persistent association with various body system symptoms after controlling for comorbidities.

Conclusion

A broad spectrum of symptoms is reported in all four environmental intolerances implying potential common mechanisms. However, the manifestation of certain symptoms in specific body systems varied per EI, suggesting specificity in response that is not solely explained by comorbidity.

environmental intolerance comorbidity symptoms electromagnetic field cross-sectional study
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