Children with common allergies have twice heart disease risk

Children with allergies, particularly asthma and hay fever, have about twice the rate of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, setting them on a course for heart disease at a surprisingly early age, reports a new study. Even when the study controlled for obesity, children with allergic disease had a much higher risk. The study suggests these children need to be screened more aggressively for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, so they can modify their lifestyles and reverse this risk.