People with non-O blood types at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases: Study

An international study conducted earlier this year by Kole and Associates, has found that people with A, B, and AB blood types may be at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart attacks, as against individuals with O blood types. The study presented at European Society of Cardiology, which involved 1.3 million respondents, added that all people living with 'non-O blood groups' were at 9 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular events (and heart attacks in particular). They also had a shorter life expectancy, according to Dr Bharat Kukreti, senior consultant cardiology, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon.

The research identified 7,71,113 individuals with a non-O blood group and 519,743 individuals with an O blood group in the meta-analysis of coronary disorders and among all people with non-O blood groups, 1.5 per cent experienced a coronary event, as against 1.4 per cent with the O blood group.

Similarly, for combined cardiovascular events, the risk associated with non-O groups was significantly higher.

Coronary heart disease (CAD), is a disorder that happens when one's heart blood supply was blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries, over time in a process known as atherosclerosis.

The fatty deposits are called atheroma. CAD is the number 1 cause of death globally: more people die annually from CADs than from any other cause.

The study's findings clearly indicated that the blood group of a person should be considered a an important risk assessment factor for prevention of heart health issues.

This was apart from the regular assessment factors such as age, sex, weight, systolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The reason behind this association between heart attacks and blood group, however, still remained unclear although there were several speculations ongoing.

Research conducted earlier had also found that people with A, B and AB blood have 25 per cent more Von-Willebrand gene factor, which is an important blood constituent that led to clotting.

Higher levels of the blood-clotting protein subsequently lead to a higher concentration of cholesterol among these non-O type blood groups.