Blood type shows the risk for diseases

Blood type influences the risk of certain diseases

02/23/2015

Many people in this country do not know which blood type they have. Actually, it would be very easy to have these detected: For example, in a blood donation at the Red Cross. Then you would sometimes know more about personal health hazards, as studies show, the blood type influences the risk of certain diseases.

Blood type influences disease risk
In recent years, various scientific studies have shown that a person's blood type influences the risk of certain diseases. Researchers at the University of Greifswald, for example, reported last year that carriers of blood group B have a 2.5-fold increased risk of pancreatitis compared to carriers of blood group zero. But even at the risk of diseases such as heart attack or gastritis (gastritis), the blood type plays a role. In a recent post is the „world“ on the topic.

With blood group zero better chances of survival in a Malaria infection
As the newspaper explains, there are four major types of blood: A and B, AB and Zero. There is little evidence of the formation of the different blood types. Apparently, a certain selection advantage has contributed to the fact that different blood groups have developed in different parts of the world. Markus Lerch, Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Greifswald, suspects that bacteria and viruses have one „selection pressure“ exercised. For example, blood type zero is particularly common in Africa. It turned out that people with this type of blood have a better chance of surviving a malaria infection. On the other hand, however, they are more prone to gastrointestinal infections.

Infectious diseases determined the course of evolution
On the other hand, carriers of blood groups A, B or AB are better prepared for the plague. As the paper goes on to say, infectious diseases that have killed many people in childhood or young adulthood for centuries have been the course of evolution. If a particular blood group offered better protection against a disease, their carriers could pass it on. However, although one blood type may protect against the early pest death, its antigens have had adverse effects on other processes in the body throughout life. Therefore, it can bring disadvantages today, which then brought an evolutionary advantage. „This has to do with the fact that today we are getting much older“, so lark. People used to have their children between the ages of 15 and 25, but chronic illness and other ailments usually occur later in life.

Dementia in age more likely with blood type AB
Various studies show that the blood group can have an influence on diseases. For example, a study from the University of Vermont, USA, found a clear association between blood type and memory loss in old age. In the evaluation of health data from more than 30,000 Americans, who were 45 years or older and were observed for four years, the team around the physician Kristine Alexander found that the memory loss especially often hit the carriers of blood type AB. According to the study, the odds of being dementia are 80 percent higher than those of blood type zero, which is particularly rare.

Heart disease attributed to unfavorable blood group
The professor of internal medicine at the University of Vienna, Renate Heinz, also deals with the connection between blood types and chronic human diseases. She explained that cardiology knows that carriers of blood groups A, B and AB are more likely to develop vascular disease. According to the Association of German Cardiologists, six percent of all heart diseases are due to an unfavorable blood type. This is because more coagulation factors are found in the blood of groups A, B and AB. These are proteins that have a hemostatic effect when blood vessels are injured by connecting to the platelets and the vessel wall. Therefore, wounds close faster if you have more coagulation factors in the blood. On the other hand, the blood clots more easily, making it easier to form thromboses.

„Blood type drugs“ there is not any
Other studies also found that the risk of chronic gastritis (gastritis) increases with the blood group zero. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, people with blood type AB are in the greatest risk of having a heart attack. So, does it make sense to know your blood type in order to be able to better assess the risk for the respective diseases? Markus Lerch stated that no blood type so far „absolutely unique“ was identified as a risk for a particular disease. However, the blood group could provide clues to processes in the body. Their characteristics affect all body cells, even if physicians are still researching how exactly and to what extent. „Blood type drugs“ So far, there is not. (Ad)