Learn The Diseases That Your Blood Type Is Prone To

Discover the blood type that can give you health risks. Check out the article we found over at Medical Daily.

Blood type is one of the body’s more mysterious taxonomies. There are four bins our blood can fall into — A, B, AB, and O — and together they represent the four groups of antigens found on the surfaces of red blood cells. But they don’t just signal who we can donate to and receive from; our blood types can reveal complex patterns of personal health. Here are six to consider:

1. Memory Problems

At-risk: AB

Your brain and vascular system have more in common than you may think. A recent study found people with type AB blood were 82 percent more likely to experience difficulties with memory recall, language, and attention than people with other types. One reason, researchers suspect, is due to the key clotting protein, known as coagulation factor VIII, which may actually reduce the quality of blood flow to the brain, rather than sealing up injury sites.

“Since factor VIII levels are closely linked to blood type, this may be one causal connection between blood type and cognitive impairment,” said Mary Cushman, author of the recent study, to Yahoo Health.

2. Pancreatic Cancer

At-risk: Non-O

It may be more accurate to say people with type O blood are at a lower risk for pancreatic cancer, given the work researchers from Yale University are doing on bacterial infection. In a study conducted last July, scientists from the University’s Cancer Center looked at cases of a common species of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, that lives in people’s gut.

They found people with H. pylori were significantly more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, due to the way A and B antigens help the bacteria thrive. People with type O blood carry no antigens on the surface of their red blood cells. This is what allows them to donate to anyone.

3. Stress

At-risk: A

Because certain blood types are more likely to co-occur with varying levels of hormones in the body, physicians commonly tailor their exercise recommendations to the patient’s type. People with type A blood, for example, are more likely to have higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in their body. So, stress-reducing exercises, like Tai Chi and yoga, may be more beneficial at cutting that tension than running or weightlifting alone.

When the adrenal gland dumps more and more cortisol into the blood, people’s stress response grows more acute. People with type A blood may find themselves getting anxious more quickly and having a harder time letting troubles roll off their back.

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Read full article for more information: 6 Ways Blood Type Can Influence Personal Health: From Mild Stress To Cancer