First of all, let’s start by reminding how important it is to donate blood both for your health and for saving the lives of others. There are four basic blood groups: A, B, AB and 0. These groups are divided into positive and negative ones. If you think that knowing your blood type is only important for taking or giving blood, you are wrong because your blood type has important features such as which disease risks you are vulnerable to.
Scientists specialized in the field of medicine have conducted and continue to do numerous studies on blood groups, their distribution and their effects on diseases. In the results of these studies, it was observed that some blood groups reacted differently in some cases and were more prone to certain diseases. Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of different blood groups and types and see interesting information such as disease susceptibility, many of which you will hear for the first time.
Interesting information about blood groups:
O blood type people are more likely to be bitten by mosquitoes, but they do not get malaria easily:
Mosquitoes, which are the scourge of the summer months, bite people with 0 blood type much more. It is not known whether they bite because it tastes better, but diseases such as malaria transmitted by mosquito bites can be much more dangerous than scratching. Fortunately, people with blood type O do not get malaria even if they are bitten a lot. Because the RIFIN protein, which causes malaria, cannot easily bind to O blood type cells. The number of people with 0 blood type who died from malaria is almost non-existent.
People with type A blood are prone to stomach cancer:
According to the article published in the Cancer Epidemiology journal in 2015, although there is no direct relationship between A blood group and stomach cancer, the incidence of stomach cancer in these people is quite high. According to the article, people with type A blood are 38% more likely to get stomach cancer than people with blood type 0. If you have type A blood, take care of your stomach.
People with type B blood are predisposed to pancreatic cancer:
Again, according to an article published in 2015, all blood types except people with blood type 0 are more prone to pancreatic cancer. The situation of people with B blood group is a little more risky. According to the article, people with B blood group are 59% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. If you have type B blood, take good care of your pancreas.
People with AB blood type are prone to cognitive problems:
An article published in the journal Neurology in 2014 examined the relationship between blood types and cognitive problems. It turned out that people with AB blood type are 84% more prone to cognitive problems than people with other blood type, even if many different variables are effective. So if you have AB blood type, try to stay away from stress and take care of your brain.
Negative blood type people tend to develop more mental health problems such as:
In addition to A, B, AB and O blood groups, there are also negative and positive blood types defined as Rh. In an article published in the journal PLoS One, the results of a study conducted on more than 3,000 subjects in 2015 were shared. It turned out that even though their numbers are small, people with negative blood type, especially men, are more prone to mental health problems such as panic disorder, antisocial personality disorder and attention deficit disorder. Moreover, it is known that people with negative blood type are more prone to skin allergies.
O blood type women are more prone to fertility problems:
Yale University Fertility Center researchers conducted a study in 2011 on the relationship between follicle stimulating hormone, abbreviated as FSH, and blood types. According to this study, O blood group women have much higher FSH levels. A high level of this hormone means a decrease in ovarian reserve. Even if it doesn’t have a big effect at younger ages, O blood group women are much less likely to get pregnant as they get older.
Negative and positive blood type is effective on pregnancy:
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, situations such as the mother being Rh negative and the fetus Rh positive cause a problem called Rh incompatibility. If the positive fetal blood mixes with the negative mother’s blood, the production of antibodies that fight it increases. In case the antibody reaches the fetus, they are trying to destroy the blood of the fetus. This can cause serious health problems as well as death of the fetus or newborn.
People with blood type O have a lower risk of heart disease:
According to a study presented at the World Congress on Acute Heart Failure held in 2017, people with O blood type have a much lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke. People with blood group A, B and AB, who make up 63% of the population, have a 9% higher tendency towards coronary and cardiovascular problems.
People with blood type other than 0 are at high risk of type 2 diabetes:
A group of French researchers conducted a study on 82,000 female subjects in 2015. In this study, the relationship between blood type and type 2 diabetes was examined. According to the results of this examination, A blood group has a 10% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while B blood group has a 21% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. O blood group did not show such a high risk tendency.
Simple sugar chains make up blood groups:
All of them are ok, but if you say where we are determined whether we are A, B, AB or 0, you need to look at the sugar in your red blood cells. Antigens, which are simple sugar chains, determine your blood type, according to the Stanford School of Medicine. A antigen constitutes A blood group, B antigen B blood group, the two together form AB, and no antigen forms O blood group. The Rh factor of the antigen in question determines whether it is negative or positive. If you have the Rh factor, you are positive, otherwise you are negative.
Be sure to learn about the universal donor and universal recipient blood groups:
When a foreign blood group enters your body, a war begins between antigens. However, 0 Rh negative blood group does not cause such a war because it does not carry any antigens, and therefore it is accepted as a universal donor. AB can receive blood from all blood groups, as it carries both A and B antigens in the Rh positive blood group, and is therefore considered a universal recipient.
We talked about interesting information about blood groups that affect our lives on many issues, especially disease risks, and the details you need to know. What we describe is for informational purposes only. You can learn the most accurate and specific information from your doctor. You can share your thoughts in the comments.