Research suggests that certain blood types can raise your risk of potentially serious conditions. Obviously, it’s not possible to change your blood type, but being aware of your type can help you to proactively take steps in reducing these risks.

So, knowledge is power, right? We have a few interesting facts on the risk factors to certain blood types.

Turns out that those with O negative or positive blood type could catch a few health breaks. A 2014 study published in Neurology found that people with AB blood type have an 82% greater risk of cognitive impairment than people with other blood types. Type O blood type on the other hand, may protect us against memory problems, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Those with O blood types are also at a significantly lower risk of developing gastric ulcers and heart disease. However one advantage of being A or AB is that research shows you’re less likely to develop peptic ulcers than those with type O blood. Researchers speculate that the difference in immunologic response to infection between the different blood types could be the reason for this. Also, if you’re type B, you’ll have a higher risk of diabetes than type O’s.

In the American Journal of Epidemiology researchers found that people with blood type A had the highest risk for stomach cancers. Some researchers believe that people with A, B, and AB blood types have an increased risk of coronary heart disease, due to increased levels of inflammatory markers and certain proteins in the blood that lead to blood clotting. As for strokes, studies show that people with type AB blood type are 83% more likely to have a stroke than those with other blood types.

The bottom line

Your blood type may have some effect on your risk of having certain diseases. So yes, certain blood types are associated with a higher or lower risk of certain diseases. But for many conditions (like heart disease and cancer), your health habits, lifestyle, family history, and other factors matter much more.

No one will be doomed to have a heart attack because of their blood type. And although some studies suggest that a blood type diet will support better health, there is currently no evidence to support this claim. It’s important to speak to a healthcare professional if you’re unsure about which foods to eat if you have a predisposition to a certain disease.

For all people, the way to reduce their risk of disease is by taking common sense steps like following a healthy, nutritious diet, regular exercise, enough rest, and stress management.

While it is measurable, the net effect of blood type on disease risk is relatively small.

Source: za.pinterest.com, webmd.com, healthline.com, sharecare.com, womenshealthmag.com