Sungkyunkwan University researchers in Korea ran a nationwide cohort analysis linking allergic diseases to increased optic neuritis risk, with allergic rhinitis showing the strongest association.
Optic neuritis is described as an autoimmune-mediated inflammatory demyelinating disorder that causes acute or subacute vision loss, ocular pain, and decreased color discrimination, with reported incidence of 3.7 cases per 100,000 person-years.
Allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis are common chronic conditions driven by type 2 immune responses and systemic inflammation.
In the study, “Analysis of optic neuritis risk in patients with allergic diseases,” published in Scientific Reports, researchers designed a population-based cohort study to evaluate whether atopic dermatitis, asthma, or allergic rhinitis are associated with subsequent development of optic neuritis.
The study cohort was drawn from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database and included 4,052,827 adults who completed health screenings in 2009, with follow-up through December 2018 or diagnosis of optic neuritis. Median follow-up reached 8.2 years, during which 3,640 individuals were diagnosed with optic neuritis, representing 0.09% of the cohort.
Models estimated hazard ratios (HR) for cases of optic neuritis while adjusting for age, sex, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, income, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.
Results showed a higher optic neuritis risk among individuals with any allergic disease compared with those without, with an adjusted HR of 1.317.
Allergic rhinitis exhibited the strongest association with an adjusted HR of 1.335. Asthma and atopic dermatitis did not show a statistically significant association after adjustment. Analyses found no significant additive interactions with age or sex.
Authors conclude that allergic rhinitis is associated with an elevated risk of optic neuritis in this nationwide cohort. Findings, while not causal, do suggest overlapping inflammatory pathways may be involved in the conditions with implications for future research avenues.
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More information:
Jaeryung Kim et al, Analysis of optic neuritis risk in patients with allergic diseases, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-18088-6
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