How Your Blood Type Affects Your Brain Health

[Northerner]

We've long known that many factors, from genetics to lifestyle choices, play a role in brain health over the course of a lifetime. And according to new research, blood type may be another, previously unconsidered factor in age-related cognitive decline.

A large-scale study conducted by researchers at the University of Vermont found those with the rare blood type AB -- which is present in less than 10 percent of the population -- to be at an unusually high risk for cognitive impairment.

The researchers analyzed longitudinal data from over 30,000 adults over the age of 45, collected as part of a national study on geographical and racial differences in stroke risk, which has been shown to be particularly high in the South, especially among African-Americans.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/11/blood-type-brain_n_6644816.html

My Mum was AB-ve and suffered a stroke and vascular dementia. I'm type B - as I like to think of it 'B Positive'! 🙂

 

[Robin]

I'm type A. So this is why I have to keep checking my keys/tickets/passport etc, in the sure and certain knowledge that they can jump unaided out of a zipped up handbag!

 

[trophywench]

Gee thanks, said the AB+ 64 year old woman.

Suggest if you want to have a (semi-) intelligent conversation with me, you best do it now before it's too late .......

 

[Sally71]

I'm O+ and I'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed on.

Perhaps I'm the exception that proves the rule!

 

[banjo]

Dont know my blood group - might have to try and find out - is it important lol?

 

[Sally71]

It's important if you might need a transfusion, because if they gave you the wrong type it would coagulate and probably kill you! Most people don't find out unless they have to. I found mine out when I went to give blood. Then when my daughter was born I needed a transfusion so they needed to know what type I was, I guess they would have tested me then if I hadn't known!

Actually both my parents are O+ so I can't possibly be anything else.

A and B are substances (proteins?) which some people have in their blood and others don't. AB blood type indicates both are present, O indicates neither are. The + or - indicates whether you have rhesus factor or not. If you give someone blood containing any of these things that they don't have, they will be in serious trouble because their body will react to the "extras" as alien substances. But if they do have them, you can give them blood that doesn't contain the extra things and it won't cause a problem.

So someone with AB+ blood could receive a transfusion from anybody as they have all three of the extra things already. But their blood could only be used for another AB+ person. Someone with O- blood doesn't have any of the extras, so their blood can be used for anyone else but they can only receive O-. I could receive O+ or O- but not A, B or AB. My blood could be used for anyone with A, B or AB blood as long as they were rhesus +.

In an emergency you would be given O- until your actual blood type was established.

 

[Northerner]

Thanks for that explanation Sally 🙂 I also found out my type when I gave blood - I was a donor for many years prior to diagnosis. Interestingly, my Mum was a blood donor, but she never gave blood! The reason was because she was AB-ve and so rare that they wanted to keep her 'in reserve' so that if an emergency arose she would be available - she was never needed! 🙂