When experts from Netherlands studied close to 13 lakh participants, the result of their analysis was astounding. The team was able draw a pattern between the blood group of participants and their susceptibility to coronary events. It was found that people other than O as their blood group were more susceptible to suffering a heart attack.
The participants were sourced from 11 cohorts described in none research studies. Researchers found that the odds ratio (OR) for all coronary events was significantly higher in carriers of a non-O blood group.
“We demonstrate that having a non-O blood group is associated with a 9 percent increased risk of coronary events and a 9 per cent increased risk of cardiovascular events, especially heart attack,” said Tessa Kole, University Medical Centre Groningen, Netherlands.
Almost half (48 per cent) of people in the UK have O blood. But according to an analysis of studies involving 1.3million people, those who have A, B and AB blood have a slightly higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
As per the research, people with non-O blood group – A, B, AB – may have a 9 percent higher chance of suffering a heart attack and overall cardiovascular mortality compared to those with O-blood group.
The findings revealed that the higher risk may be due to having greater concentrations of von Willebrand factor,a blood clotting protein,which has been associated with thrombotic events.
People with A blood group are known to have higher cholesterol, which is a leading risk factor for heart attack.
Researchers studied 13,62,569 subjects from about 11 prospective cohorts, described in nine research articles. There were a total of 23,154 cardiovascular events. They analysed the association between blood group and all coronary events, combined cardiovascular events, and fatal coronary events.Researchers found that the odds ratio (OR) for all coronary events was significantly higher in carriers of a non-O blood group.
The study was presented at the Heart Failure 2017 and the 4th World Congress on Acute Heart Failure.
The OR for combined cardiovascular events was significantly higher in non-O blood group carriers. The analysis of fatal coronary events did not show a significant difference between people with O and non-O blood groups, researchers said.
The higher risk for cardiovascular events in non-O blood group carriers may be due to having greater concentrations of von Willebrand factor – a blood clotting protein, researchers said.
Non-O blood group carriers, specifically those with an A blood group, are known to have higher cholesterol.
Galectin-3 protein, which is linked to inflammation and worse outcomes in heart failure patients, is also higher in those with a non-O blood group. “Blood group should be considered in risk assessment for cardiovascular prevention, together with cholesterol, age, sex and systolic blood pressure,” Kole said.
