Blood Type and Illness: What Conditions Are You at Risk For?

Blood Type an Illness: What Conditions Are You at Risk For?

[PREVENTION] Which Illnesses Are YOU at Risk for Based on Your Blood Type?

(AscendHealthy.com) – We humans are susceptible to a broad array of illnesses, many of which affect a lot of us without prejudice. In some cases, however, blood type may make a big difference in which conditions a person is prone to developing.

While no single blood type is fully immune or invariably cursed to a given condition, knowing which risks increase with each type may help with prevention. Here are a handful of issues each blood type should watch out for.

Cancer and Blood Type

Some researchers have looked at the effects blood type may have on certain cancer risks. Here’s what they’ve found:

  • Women with type A blood are more likely to develop ovarian cancer than those with type O blood.
  • People with type B blood have an overall lower cancer risk, and they are less likely to get gastrointestinal and bladder cancers.
  • AB blood types have a lower risk of developing colorectal and liver cancers.
  • Both B and AB blood types are more resistant to epidermoid carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.
  • People with type O blood are less likely to die from natural killer/T cell lymphoma.

More extensive lists like the one above might help people focus on specific risk factors and address lifestyle issues, which could make a huge difference in survival rates.

Conditions Affecting the Organs

Blood type could alter susceptibility to some diseases of the vital organs. Research in this area appears limited, but there have been some interesting findings so far:

  • Type B blood is a potential risk factor for pancreatitis.
  • Type O and type A blood both increase risks for kidney disease progression.
  • People with AB blood are more likely to develop dementia as they age.
  • People with type-O blood are less likely to suffer from asthma and COPD.

Experts still aren’t sure exactly why blood type can have such an impact on organ health, but they believe differences in antibodies between the types could be at play.

Cardiovascular Disease

Similar mechanisms might be responsible for the role blood type appears to play in certain cardiovascular disease risks. Here are a few examples:

  • People with type-O blood are more likely to suffer from hypertension but less likely to develop non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and blood clots.
  • Women with AB blood are more than three times more likely to experience late-onset preeclampsia during pregnancy.
  • Diabetic women with AB blood are more likely to develop coronary heart disease.

Research into the antibodies that increase cardiovascular risks could open doors for new and effective treatment options.

Infectious Diseases

Antibodies associated with blood-type antigens may also affect the risks of catching specific infectious diseases. The list is likely extensive, but here are the biggies experts have pinned down so far:

Health Testing Centers explains that anti-A and anti-B antibodies can be structurally similar to antibodies against certain bacteria and viruses, meaning their corresponding blood types could create partial or increased immunity against specific infections.

Our blood could hold the key to reducing numerous health issues, giving doctors a new direction to explore in disease prevention. A greater understanding of the differences between blood types and immune systems could allow for more personalized strategies and new, immune-based treatments. Hopefully, future studies will broaden current data and improve our understanding of how to use these differences between us in ways that might benefit us all.

~Here’s to Your Healthy Ascension

Copyright 2024, AscendHealthy.com