A new study has revealed that blood type can influence 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 age 60 than people with other blood types.
Blood groups 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 groups, there are subtle differences that result 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 collated data from 48 genetic studies, which included nearly 17,000 people who had had a stroke and nearly 600,000 people without strokes. The ages of all participants ranged from 18 to 59 years.
The study found that people whose genomes were coded for a variety of blood types were 16 percent more likely to have a stroke before age 60, compared with a group of other blood types.
For those with the O1 group 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’s no need for extra vigilance or screening in this group.
“We don’t yet know why type A blood poses a higher 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 about 11 percent more likely to have a stroke than people without strokes, 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.
