Body fat, lower HDL and higher LDL associated with greater risk of allergic sensitization

Obesity and allergic diseases have increased dramatically in recent decades.

This study included 1187 rural Chinese twins with skin prick tests, anthropometric and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-assessed adiposity measures, and lipid assessments.

Allergic sensitization was defined as positive SPT to one or more allergens (9 foods and 5 aeroallergens tested).

Men had higher rates of allergic sensitization (56.2% vs 36.7%) than women.

Higher percent of body fat (adiposity), lower HDL and higher LDL were associated with greater risk of allergic sensitization, most notable in men.

References:
Adiposity, serum lipid levels, and allergic sensitization in Chinese men and women. Ouyang F, Kumar R, Pongracic J, Story RE, Liu X, Wang B, Xing H, Liu X, Li Z, Zhang W, Fang Y, Zhang S, Xu X, Wang X. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 Jan 7.

Monounsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts and avocados increase "good" HDL cholesterol levels by 12% http://goo.gl/GBQa5
Image source: Cholesterol. Wikipedia (public domain).