Long-term results after high-altitude climatotherapy in Davos - a follow-up study

High-altitude climatotherapy is supposed to promote the healing of chronic inflammatory skin lesions. Several clinical studies could show, that atopic dermatitis, other types of eczema and psoriasis as well as allergic bronch ial asthma can effectively be treated under the conditions of high-altitude climate as it consists in Davos. Not only an improvement of the dermatolog ical findings can be noticed, but there is also a reduction in medication e specially corticosteroids and a longterm effect. The aim of this follow-up study was to show these short- and long-term effects of the high-altitude c limatotherapy in a high number of patients. The results of this followup st udy showed that the positive effect of high-altitude climatotherapy in the majority of the patients with atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, contact dermati tis and allergic bronchial asthma continues at least over one year. With a high number of patients we could confirm the positive results of high-altit ude climatotherapy published in the past. By questionnaire we were able to demonstrate, that the use of corticosteroids was reduced in a remarkable ex tend right after treatment as well as after 12 month. In this way high-alti tude climatotherapy does not only support the healing of chronic skin disea ses, it also helps to improve the patient's life quality. By reducing absen ce periods from work or school high-altitude climatotherapy reaches a signi ficant socioeconomic effect.