Medical consultation rate of allergic rhinitis and pollinosis surveillance in Aichi, Japan.

The medical consultation rate of allergic rhinitis (AR) was analysed using Japan National Health Insurance records of Aichi Prefecture for May 1989. Data collected from 88 cities, towns and villages were tabulated and divided into five-year age groups. The standardized medical consultation rate (SMCR) of AR in each municipality was then calculated. It was found that SMCR of AR did not correlate well with the pollen count for Japanese cedars, Japanese cypresses or gramineae, respectively, but a weak correlation with the mean yearly levels of nitrogen dioxide was suggested by the data. There was a significant positive correlation between SMCR of AR and the mean yearly levels of suspended particulate matter, the major element of which is diesel exhaust particulate.