blood type and aging: what scientists are beginning to discover For most of our lives, we think about blood type…
These blood-group characteristics are inherited.
But the molecules associated with blood type are not limited to red blood cells. ABO-related molecules can also occur on other cells and tissues and can influence biological interactions throughout the body.
That is one reason researchers have become interested in whether blood type might be connected to disease susceptibility.
blood type and blood clotting
One of the better-established areas of research concerns the relationship between ABO blood groups and blood-clotting factors.
People with non-O blood types tend, on average, to have higher circulating levels of certain clotting proteins, particularly von Willebrand factor and factor VIII, compared with people with type O blood.
This difference is biologically important because excessive blood clotting can contribute to cardiovascular events.
Large observational studies have consequently found associations between non-O blood groups and a higher risk of certain cardiovascular and thrombotic conditions.
That doesn’t mean someone with type A, B, or AB blood will develop a clot.
Likewise, having type O blood does not make someone immune to cardiovascular disease.
These are differences in population-level risk, not predictions about individuals.
why type O has attracted so much attention
Type O has frequently appeared in studies examining cardiovascular and clotting-related outcomes.
Researchers have observed that people with type O blood generally have lower levels of certain clotting factors than people with non-O blood groups.
Some large studies have consequently reported a lower average risk of conditions such as venous thromboembolism among people with type O blood.
This has sometimes been simplified online into claims that type O is a “healthier” blood type.
That conclusion goes too far.
Every blood group has advantages and disadvantages in different biological contexts.
For example, the same characteristics that may influence clotting risk can potentially be associated with other disease outcomes.
The human body is much more complicated than a simple ranking of blood types.
Please click the Continue Reading button below to keep reading.
Comments (0)