Allergien und Lungenerkrankungen im Erwachsenenalter. Beitrag der deutschen Kohorten Hamburg und Erfurt zum Internationalen Projekt zu Atemwegserkrankungen

欧洲共同体呼吸健康调查（ECRHS）是一项关于呼吸健康，特别是来自欧洲20多个国家和世界其他一些地区的普通成年人的哮喘、过敏和肺功能的后续研究。在德国，从埃尔福特和汉堡随机抽取了20-44岁的成年人，首先在基线研究（ECRHS-I; 1990-1992）中进行了检查，然后在后续研究（ECRHS-II; 2000-2002）中进行了检查。ECRHS是欧洲唯一提供呼吸健康全面数据的研究。它导致了成人哮喘和呼吸健康流行病学研究方法的标准化。此外，调查结果还提供了与许多国家的方案倡议有关的资料。在相关国家进行20年的随访，旨在分析哮喘、过敏和肺功能的时间变化，以及与新的风险因素的关系。随访的目的是：(i)描述哮喘、鼻炎和过敏原致敏的长期发展，并确定其环境和遗传决定因素；（ii）量化肺功能下降和COPD发病率及其决定因素；（三）描述哮喘治疗在人群和个体水平上的变化及其对哮喘症状患病率的影响。由于德国参与了国际后续研究（ECRHS III），因此有可能在具有国际竞争力的水平上对成人进行呼吸健康研究。

The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) is a follow-up study on respiratory health, in particular asthma, allergy and lung function in the general population of adults from more than 20 countries in Europe and some other parts of the world. In Germany a random sample of 20-44 year old adults from Erfurt and Hamburg were examined first of all in the baseline study (ECRHS-I; 1990-1992) and then in the follow-up study (ECRHS-II; 2000-2002). The ECRHS is the only European study providing comprehensive data on respiratory health. It has led to the standardisation of epidemiological research methods of adult asthma and respiratory health. Additionally, the results provided information relevant for programme initiatives in many countries.The 20-year follow-up in the involved countries is supposed to analyse the temporal shift of asthma, allergy and lung function, as well as the association with new risk factors. The objectives of the follow-up are: (i) to describe the long-term development of asthma, rhinitis and sensitisation to allergens and to identify their environmental and genetic determinants; (ii) to quantify lung function decline and the incidence of COPD and their determinants; (iii) to describe the changes in asthma treatment on population and individual level and their influence on the prevalence of asthma symptoms.The German participation in the international follow-up study (ECRHS III) renders it possible to perform respiratory health research in adults on an internationally competetive level.