Research has shown that stroke has a specific connection with a person's blood type, and an individual’s blood type can increase or decrease the likelihood of having a stroke. In the following article, we will discuss the relationship between different blood types and the risk of stroke. Stay with Saed News.
Which Blood Types Are at Greater Risk of Heart Attacks and Strokes?
Researchers, through studies conducted on tens of thousands of men and women over a period of 20 to 26 years, discovered a surprising link between a person’s blood type and their risk of having a stroke. What’s your blood type? According to a new study, the answer to this question may affect your heart health.
Researchers have found that individuals with blood types A, B, and AB may be at a higher risk of cardiovascular events—particularly heart attacks and strokes—compared to those with blood type O. Their findings suggest that healthcare professionals should consider a person’s blood type when assessing cardiovascular risk.
People with blood type AB were found to be 26% more likely to be hospitalized due to stroke or heart attacks compared to those with blood type O. Notably, women with blood type B had a 15% higher chance of experiencing a stroke than women with blood type O under similar conditions. However, this link was not observed in men with blood type B. Interestingly, both men and women with blood type A did not appear to be at higher risk of stroke compared to other blood types.
Researchers recently presented their findings on heart failure at the 2017 Annual Congress of the European Society of Cardiology in Paris, France. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 735,000 people in the United States suffer from a heart attack or stroke each year.
While there are modifiable risk factors for heart attacks—such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking—there are also non-modifiable factors like age, gender, and family history. New research suggests that blood type should also be added to this list.
Having a non-O blood type increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by about 9%. This conclusion was reached through a meta-analysis of studies that reported blood type and the occurrence of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and other cardiovascular conditions.
The data included more than 1.3 million adults who participated in 11 different studies. Researchers used this data to evaluate how each blood type might affect the risk of coronary events, cardiovascular incidents, and fatal heart conditions.
Out of the participants, 771,113 had non-O blood types, and 519,743 had blood type O. In this randomized clinical trial, 1.4% (7,220) of patients experienced heart attacks. In the combined analysis of cardiovascular events, the team identified 708,276 people with non-O blood types and 476,868 with blood type O.
Among those with non-O blood types, 2.5% experienced cardiovascular events, while 2.3% of those with blood type O did.
The data suggests that lacking the O factor in your blood type increases the overall risk of coronary events—especially heart attacks—by 9%, and similarly raises the likelihood of cardiovascular complications such as myocardial infarction.
Blood type should therefore be considered when assessing cardiovascular risk. While this study was not designed to pinpoint the exact mechanisms linking blood type and cardiovascular risk, researchers have proposed several explanations. For example, individuals with non-O blood types tend to have higher levels of a blood clotting protein called von Willebrand factor, which has been previously associated with thrombotic events.
Additionally, the researchers note that people with non-O blood types—particularly those with type A—tend to have higher cholesterol levels, which is a known risk factor for poor cardiovascular health.
However, further research is needed to determine the precise reasons behind the increased cardiovascular risk in individuals with non-O blood types.
