study: blood type affects the chance of stroke

Your blood type may affect the risk of stroke. People with AB and B were women with a bit more likely to suffer from an O blood than those with _ the most common form, a study found.

The study can not prove a link. But it suits other work to bind A, B and AB to increase the risk of blood clots in the legs and heart attacks. Blood type O is also associated with an increased risk of bleeding, less chance of blood clots, the cause of the most successful means.

"There is growing evidence that the blood can affect the risk of chronic diseases," said study leader, Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard.

"It is not at the level we want to alarm people and we want to make clear. But it is an additional element of risk that people would like to know", and could them a reason to control blood pressure and cholesterol to maintain consistent , he said.

The study, conducted by Dr. Lu Qi Brigham, was presented Wednesday at a conference of the American Heart Association. It involved 90,000 men and women in two observational studies of health that are more than 20 years.

Looking at the 2901 strikes that have occurred and taking into account other things that can make them, such as high blood pressure, researchers found:

_Men And women with AB had a 26 percent increased risk of stroke compared to those of type O.

_Women Men B but not of the blood had a 15 percent greater risk than those with O

What is the explanation?

It depends on the type of blood proteins on the surface of red blood cells. A model of the immune response to the first forms of life based on them. Some species of red blood cells, the blood more likely to clump and stick to the inside of blood vessels to make, lay the foundation for a blood clot, said Manson.

"You can not change, and we do not know if it's the type of blood for themselves or other genes that track with the" who really gives the risks, said Dr. Larry Goldstein, director of the stroke center at the Duke University.

"There are other things more important than" what kind of blood to the risk of stroke such as smoking, drinking too much and too little exercise, he said.

About 45 percent of whites, 51 percent of blacks, 57 percent of Hispanics and 40 percent of Asians have blood type O, according to the American Red Cross. These people are called "universal donors" because their blood can be safely used for any type of blood transfusions.

Blood type AB is the least common form, present in 4 percent of whites and blacks, 2 percent of Hispanics and 7 percent in Asia.

B is less common second overall, in 11 percent of whites, 19 percent of blacks, 10 percent of Hispanics and 25 percent of Asians.

A is 40 percent of whites, 26 percent of blacks, 31 percent of Hispanics and 28 percent of Asians.