Allergic asthma is a risk factor for human cardiovascular diseases

Asthma is an allergic airway disease in which type 2-mediated inflammation has a pathogenic role. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are type 1-dominant inflammatory diseases in which type 2 cytokines often have a protective role. However, clinical studies demonstrate that allergic asthma and associated allergies are essential risk factors for CVD, including coronary heart diseases, aortic diseases, peripheral arterial diseases, pulmonary embolism, right ventricular dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, cardiac hypertrophy and even hypertension. Mast cells, eosinophils, inflammatory cytokines and immunoglobulin (Ig)E accumulate in asthmatic lungs and in the injured heart and vasculature of patients with CVD. Clinical studies show that many anti-asthmatic therapies affect the risk of CVD. As such, allergic asthma and CVD may share common pathogenic mechanisms. Preclinical investigations indicate that anti-asthmatic drugs have therapeutic potential in certain CVDs. In this Review, we discuss how asthma and allied allergic conditions may contribute to the prevalence, incidence and progression of CVD and vice versa.