We do so many things to stay healthy and combat illness—exercise, diet, maintain a sleepy schedule—but there are things that affect our health that we have no control over. One of these things is our blood type. According to new studies, they have more to do with our health than we think.
These are the different illnesses that seem to be linked to blood types, as compiled from Medical Daily.
1. Stress: Type A
People with type A blood usually have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Stress, when left unchecked, can lead to more serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
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2. Heart disease: Type AB
According to a Harvard University study from 2012, people with non-O blood have more risk for cardiovascular diseases, but those with type AB blood were at the most risk.
3. Memory problems: Type AB
A study from the University of Vermont found that people with the AB blood type were 82% more likely to experience thinking and memory problems. “Blood type has been related to diseases like stroke that have a vascular basis so we thought that maybe vascular issues contribute to memory problems,” explained lead author Dr. Mary Cushman to The Huffington Post.
4. Ulcers: Type O
According to DrMirkin.com, people with the O blood type have antibodies that react strongly to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the type of bacteria that causes sores and ulcers. If you have type O blood, you’re more likely to have more stomach pain and ulcers should you come across the H. pylori bacteria.
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5. Pancreatic Cancer and Stomach Cancer: Non-type O
It seems like the same antibodies that make people with type O blood more sensitive to H. pylori is what’s putting them at a lower risk for pancreatic cancer, as one study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found. People with type AB blood are more at risk when it comes to stomach cancer.
Thankfully, the risk your blood type poses is insignificant, says the study’s authors. ‘There’s little we can do about this regarding gastric cancer,” coauthor Dr. Gustaf Edgren told The Huffington Post. “But the risk associated with blood group is actually too small to make much of a difference.”
What now?
Though we can’t change our blood types, knowing the kind of diseases we are susceptible to can be helpful in the long run as we make different lifestyle choices.
Combat stress with calming exercises like tai chi and yoga. Keep your mind healthy and active by reading, doing puzzles, and interacting with other people. And, of course, take care of your body by not smoking, exercising, and eating well.