Affliction linked to later heart problems.

• Position: Kawasaki Disease - Brief article

Kawasaki disease, a serious childhood illness that causes inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body, has been linked with early-onset and accelerated atherosclerosis, a leading cause of heart disease in adults.

In a study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, a team of researchers showed how Kawasaki disease is a predisposition to develop accelerated atherosclerosis, often called hardening of the arteries, in young adulthod. The study also suggests that aggressive early treatment of the blood vessel inflammation caused by Kawasaki disease may reduce the future risk of developing accelerated atherosclerosis. Up to 25% of children with Kawasaki disease will develop inflammation of the coronary arteries, making it the leading cause of acquired heart disease among children in developed countries.

Doctors treating those who have had Kawasaki disease should monitor closely other known cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking, recommends...