AB blood type may increase dementia risk

Zee Media Bureau

Washington: According to a study, your blood type may have some role in your risk of dementia. People with AB blood type are more likely to develop thinking and memory problems in later years than people with other blood types.

People with blood type AB, which includes about 4 percent of the population (the least common blood type) were 82 percent more likely to develop dementia as they age.

For the study, researchers evaluated data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study, which followed 30,000 participants for a 3.4-year duration.

Researchers found 495 individuals that developed cognitive and memory problems during the study. After they compared those participants with 587 individuals without cognitive impairment, they discovered 6% of participants with memory loss had the AB blood type.

"Our study looks at blood type and risk of cognitive impairment," said study author Mary Cushman from the University of Vermont, College of Medicine in Burlington.

"Blood type is also related to other vascular conditions like stroke, so the findings highlight the connections between vascular issues and brain health," Cushman added.

The researchers also looked at levels of factor VIII, a protein that helps blood to clot. High levels of factor VIII are related to higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.

(With Agency Inputs)