Regular Bouts of Allergies Linked to Future Heart Risk

by Kathy Jones on September 6, 2010 at 8:55 PM

Researchers have warned that constantly suffering from common allergies could increase the risk of heart diseases later in your life.

Researchers at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia analyzed the data collected during the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey held between 1988 and 1994 in which more than 8,600 adults over the age of 20 years had taken part.

Allergy

An allergy is a hypersensitive disorder of immune system. Substances that often cause allergic reactions are pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, food, insect stings and medicines.

They found that nearly half of those surveyed admitted that they constantly suffered from stuffy nose or itchy and watery eyes (rhinoconjunctivitis) while around 16 percent reported symptoms of wheezing.

Overall around 6 percent of the participants were suffering from some form of heart disease. The researchers found that over 13 percent of those who complained of wheezing were suffering from heart disease while 5 percent of rhinoconjunctivitis and four percent of those without any allergies had heart trouble.

The researchers calculated that those who complained of wheezing were 2.6 times more likely to suffer from heart trouble while the rate was 40 percent among rhinoconjunctivitis patients.

Source: Medindia