Blood group: What does it say about the risk of heart attack and high blood pressure
Tell me, what blood group you have and I’ll tell you if you will catch this Winter is a stomach-intestinal flu.
Sounds crazy? But it is not. But it’s scientifically proven: people with blood group B infections with noroviruses are less frequent than in the case of people who have a different blood group.
Blood group has an impact on the health
Just one example of the influence of blood group on health. It experts from the German society for transfusion medicine and immunohaematology (DGTI) point.
Also in other diseases, there is, according to the experts, a reference to the blood group:
Blood Group B
- In people with this blood group the risk of getting infected with Malaria is increased slightly. Less commonly, it comes to infections with norovirus.
Blood group AB
- In people with the blood group of the blood pressure less.
Blood Group Zero
- People with blood type o have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
- However, they are more likely to have stomach disorders than other blood groups-types.
What’s behind this connection between blood groups and certain diseases, the researchers are still puzzling over.
“The causes for these potential vulnerabilities or Resistance in certain diseases, are currently not known,“ says Professor of medicine Hermann Eichler from the Institute of Clinical haemostaseology and transfusion medicine at the University of Saarland in Homburg/Saar.
A possible explanation: Since the properties of the blood group in most of the cells of the body, influence agents, according to the experts, possibly, the binding of disease and the metabolism.
Also has an effect on cancer growth could be explained, says Eichler: “The risks of disease are low, however, to expect differences in life expectancy, therefore, hardly.”
This determines the blood group
The blood group is genetically determined and is defined by certain characteristics on the surface of red blood cells, called erythrocytes. These characteristics are called antigens.
Myth: Blood Group Diet
All this, however, plays no role in the case of other properties that are sometimes attributed to the blood group.
Such as the blood group diet is part of. Had brought years ago, American herbalists on the market, where this nutritional concept has been circulating still.
It is based on the assumption that your blood group determines what foods we can tolerate particularly well and which are not. Therefore, people with blood group should be Zero caveman-types, and therefore, more meat will need.
From this theory, the blood of experts hold nothing at all: “This statement is not scientifically proven,” says Eichler, who is also the Chairman of the DGTI.
Blood group does not decide on a diet success
“There is no reason why people with blood group A should prefer a vegetarian diet and people with blood type B dairy products.”
Anyone who wants to lose weight, you should inspect the box in front of the own blood: “The blood group on the diet success no influence,” says the Professor of medicine.
But of course, it is crucial which of the four blood groups, Null, A, B or AB we belong to.
Blood transfusion: peculiarities of blood groups
In the case of a blood transfusion, this is even more vital.
Because the blood group of the recipient must match to the blood group of the donor. Otherwise, it can come in the body of the recipient to life-threatening immune reactions.
Here, too, there are some peculiarities:
Blood Group Zero
- People with blood group Zero as a blood donor desires, because they are considered “universal donors,” says Eichler. Your red blood cells can usually be to every human being transfused, regardless of the AB0-blood group he has inherited.
- As a receiver, people with blood group Zero, however, are “picky”. In their blood of antibodies against the characteristics A and B are present. People with blood group Zero can therefore receive blood of their own blood group.
Blood group AB
- In contrast, the blood leads the group to the carrier is a “universal recipient”. If necessary, people with this blood group red blood cells each of the AB0-blood group.
By the way: In Japan, people with blood group AB are considered to be artistic, mysterious and unpredictable. In the country, the interpretation of blood groups has approximately the same value as in our horoscopes.
Myth: Blood Group Interpretation
People of blood group Zero are regarded as curious, generous and stubborn.
But it was nothing to it, says Professor of medicine Eichler: “blood groups tell us nothing about the character.”
*The contribution of “heart attack and high blood pressure: blood group reveals risk of certain diseases,” is published by Wizelife. Contact with the executives here.