Sensitivity to common food allergens such as dairy and peanuts could be an important and previously unappreciated cause of heart disease, and could also increase the risk for cardiovascular death, even in people who don`t appear to have allergies, a new study has said.

According to the study published in the journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, this increased risk may be comparable to -- or even exceed -- the risks posed by smoking, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.