Sensitivity to Dairy and Peanuts Could Increase Risk of Heart Disease and Cardiovascular Death, New Research Finds

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : Sensitivity to common food allergens such as dairy and peanuts may be a significant and previously overlooked cause of heart disease, according to new research. The study suggests that even individuals without obvious food allergies could be at an increased risk of cardiovascular death due to these allergens. The findings, which were conducted by scientists at UVA Health and their collaborators, indicate that the risks posed by dairy and common foods like peanuts could be on par with or even exceed those of smoking, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.

In their study, the researchers analyzed data gathered from thousands of adults over a period of time. They discovered that individuals who produced antibodies in response to dairy and other foods were at a higher risk of cardiovascular-related death, even after accounting for traditional risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes. While cow’s milk showed the strongest link, other allergens like peanuts and shrimp were also found to be significant.

This groundbreaking finding marks the first time that “IgE” antibodies to common foods have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. However, the research does not definitively prove that food antibodies are causing the heightened risk. Nonetheless, it builds upon previous studies that have connected allergic inflammation to heart disease.

Approximately 15% of adults produce IgE antibodies in response to cow’s milk, peanuts, and other foods. While these antibodies can cause severe food allergies in some individuals, many adults who produce these antibodies do not display obvious food allergies. The study found that the strongest link to cardiovascular death was observed in individuals who had the antibodies but continued to consume the food regularly, indicating that they did not have a severe food allergy.

Lead researcher Dr. Jeffrey Wilson, an allergy and immunology expert at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, explained that the study focused on the presence of IgE antibodies to food detected in blood samples. He noted, “We don’t think most of these subjects actually had overt food allergy. Thus, our story is more about an otherwise silent immune response to food. While these responses may not be strong enough to cause acute allergic reactions to food, they might nonetheless cause inflammation and over time lead to problems like heart disease.”

The researchers were inspired to investigate the potential harm to the heart caused by common food allergies after previously linking an unusual form of food allergy spread by ticks to heart disease. This tick-borne allergy, referred to as “alpha-gal syndrome,” sensitizes individuals to a sugar called alpha-gal found in mammalian meat. The study team, which included Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, who first identified the allergy, reviewed data collected from over 5,000 participants in the National Health and Examination Survey and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. They found that individuals with IgE antibodies to at least one food had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular death, particularly among those sensitive to milk.

While this is the first study to link allergic antibodies to common foods with cardiovascular mortality, previous research has identified other allergic conditions like asthma and eczema as risk factors for heart disease. The researchers suggest that allergic antibodies to food may impact the heart by activating specialized cells known as mast cells, which are found in cardiac blood vessels and heart tissue. Persistent activation of these mast cells could lead to inflammation, contributing to the development of harmful plaque buildup that can cause heart attacks or other heart damage.

However, the researchers emphasize that further studies are needed to fully understand the implications of their findings before making any recommendations regarding the treatment or management of food allergies. They hope that future research will provide personalized information about heart-healthy diets through blood tests. Dr. Wilson concluded, “Though before that could be recommended, we still have a lot of work to do to understand these findings.”

The research findings have been published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, a leading allergy journal. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, as well as the AAAAI Foundation Faculty Development Award. A complete list of the authors’ disclosures and the financial backers of the MESA trial can be found in the paper..