A new study revealed that blood type may affect the risk of early stroke, according to the “Science Alert” website.
People with type A blood appear to be more likely to have a stroke before the age of 60 than people with other blood types.
Blood types reveal the rich variety of chemicals on the surface of red blood cells, and among the most common names are A and B, or AB, or O. Even within these major blood types, there are subtle differences that arise from mutations in genes.
The study, prepared in 2022, which included genomic research, showed a clear relationship between the A1 subgroup gene and early stroke.
The researchers pooled data from 48 genetic studies, which included nearly 17,000 people who had had a stroke and nearly 600,000 people without a stroke. The ages of all participants ranged from 18 to 59 years.
The study found that people whose genomes were coded for the A variety of blood types had a 16% higher chance of having a stroke before the age of 60, compared to a group of other blood types.
For those with the group O1 gene, the risk was 12 percent lower.
However, the researchers noted, the additional risk of stroke in people with type A blood is small, so there is no need for further vigilance or screening in this group.
“We still don’t know why type A blood poses a greater risk,” said Stephen Kitner, senior author of Neurology and Vascular Sciences at the University of Maryland, in a 2022 statement.
The study also found that people with type B blood were approximately 11% more likely to have a stroke than people without stroke, regardless of their age. The genetic sequences of blood types A and B were also associated with a slightly increased risk of blood clots in the veins, which is called venous thrombosis.
