What can your blood type say about risk of developing heart and vascular disease?

People with blood groups II and III, face the risk of blood clots in blood vessels higher than people with blood group I, said Dutch scientists. Their findings were published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

Scientists have already talked about the likely relationship between the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and the characteristics of the ABO gene, which determines blood groups. In a new study, scientists analyzed data from 406,755 people and found that, compared with participants with blood group I, participants with groups II and III had an overall risk of myocardial infarction of 8% and a risk of heart failure of 10%.

Moreover, in people with blood groups II and III, the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis of the legs is 51% higher, and pulmonary thromboembolism (thrombus entering the lungs) is 47% higher. At the same time, people with blood groups II and III have a 3% lower risk of hypertension.

Determining someone’s blood type is relatively simple, cheap, and widely used. General practitioners can use this information to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease, and scientists may consider including blood type information in future trials to assess risk and treatment approaches, said Hilde Groot, lead author of the study.

However, regardless of the blood type, a person can reduce his risk by regular physical activity, proper nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight.

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