Blood Cells And Brain Cells
Researchers at The University of Vermont conducted a large scale study on the rare blood type AB. AB is present in less than 10 percent of the population and they are shown to be at an unusually high risk for cognitive impairment.
The researchers analyzed longitudinal data in over 30,000 adults over the age of 45. They collected this data as part of a national study on geographical and racial differences in stroke risk. The South has been shown to have particularly high stroke results, especially among African-Americans.
Survey respondents, 495 of them, showed significant declines on at least two evaluations that were conducted twice a year. This group was then compared to a group of 587 participants who remained in good cognitive health over time.
Researchers found that the members of the struggling group were 82 percent more likely to have type AB blood over any of the other three types. This proved true even after taking into account other factors like sex and race.
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Even though researchers have not yet established the exact mechanisms of how blood type increases the risk of cognitive impairment, it may have something to do with the increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart disease and strokes among those with non-O blood types. This may in some way effect the brain.
This is not the first study to look at blood type and overall brain health. Previous research has found that people with Type A blood are more prone to obsessive-compulsive disorder while those with Type O blood may be at a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
A large study suggests that there is a correlation between blood type and longevity. People with Type A, B, and AB are at a higher risk for heart disease and shorter lifespan compared to Type O’s. Those that were non-O Type are nine percent more likely to die over the course of the seven-year period than O Types.
