Antileukotriene drugs as a tool for improving the quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Introduction. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated disease. Which, after exposure to allergens, manifests itself with various symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal itching, and nasal congestion, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. In some patients, AR poses a risk of developing serious mental disorders. Currently, various medicines are used for treatment. Objective. Consideration of the effectiveness of AR therapy with antileukotriene drugs, depending on the mental state of the patient. Materials and methods. The study involved 200 people diagnosed with AR. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (100 people) with basic therapy with intranasal glucocorticosteroids (inGCS – mometasone furoate) and group 2 (100 people) – inhalers in combination with an antileukotriene drug (montelukast). All were screened for the presence of a depressive disorder. The tactics of case management and prescription of drugs were defined by the level of depression. Patients with AR have mental health problems that correlate with AR symptoms. Results. Patients of the 1st group, who did not achieve complete relief of AR symptoms, when assessing their mental state using the PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 questionnaires, showed a mild depression (23 people). The symptoms of AR were stopped, when an anti-leukotriene drug was added to the therapy. Conclusions. With the ineffectiveness of the basic therapy of inGCS and a negative assessment of the patient’s mental state, the use of an antileukotriene drug is justified to improve the level of depressive mood and complete relief of symptoms of AR.