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Credit: Graham Colm
Individuals with type AB blood may be more likely than those with other blood types to develop memory loss in later years, according to a study published in Neurology.
Investigators found that people with AB blood were 82% more likely to develop cognitive impairment, which can lead to dementia.
Previous studies have shown that individuals with type O blood have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, factors that can increase the risk of memory loss and dementia.
The new research was part of a larger study—the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study—of more than 30,000 subjects who were followed for an average of 3.4 years.
“Our study looks at blood type and risk of cognitive impairment, but several studies have shown that factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia,” said Mary Cushman, MD, of 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. More research is needed to confirm these results.”
Dr Cushman and her colleagues had set out to assess the relationship between ABO group, factor VIII (FVIII), and incident cognitive impairment in a large, prospective cohort of black and white adults in the US.
The team used cognitive domain tests to assess cognitive impairment. They identified 495 subjects who had no cognitive impairment at baseline but became impaired during follow-up. The investigators then compared these cases with 587 control subjects.
It turned out that subjects with AB blood made up 6% of the group that developed cognitive impairment, which is higher than the 4% of AB individuals found in the general population.
Multivariate analysis—adjusted for age, race, region, and sex—suggested that subjects with AB blood and those with higher FVIII had an increased risk of cognitive impairment. The odds ratios were 1.82 and 1.24, respectively.
Subjects with AB blood had a higher average level of FVIII than subjects with other blood types. The mean level of FVIII was 142 IU/dL among AB subjects and 104 IU/dL among subjects with type O blood.
However, the investigators also found that FVIII mediated only 18% of the association between AB blood type and cognitive impairment. 
Credit: Graham Colm
Individuals with type AB blood may be more likely than those with other blood types to develop memory loss in later years, according to a study published in Neurology.
Investigators found that people with AB blood were 82% more likely to develop cognitive impairment, which can lead to dementia.
Previous studies have shown that individuals with type O blood have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, factors that can increase the risk of memory loss and dementia.
The new research was part of a larger study—the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study—of more than 30,000 subjects who were followed for an average of 3.4 years.
“Our study looks at blood type and risk of cognitive impairment, but several studies have shown that factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia,” said Mary Cushman, MD, of 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. More research is needed to confirm these results.”
Dr Cushman and her colleagues had set out to assess the relationship between ABO group, factor VIII (FVIII), and incident cognitive impairment in a large, prospective cohort of black and white adults in the US.
The team used cognitive domain tests to assess cognitive impairment. They identified 495 subjects who had no cognitive impairment at baseline but became impaired during follow-up. The investigators then compared these cases with 587 control subjects.
It turned out that subjects with AB blood made up 6% of the group that developed cognitive impairment, which is higher than the 4% of AB individuals found in the general population.
Multivariate analysis—adjusted for age, race, region, and sex—suggested that subjects with AB blood and those with higher FVIII had an increased risk of cognitive impairment. The odds ratios were 1.82 and 1.24, respectively.
Subjects with AB blood had a higher average level of FVIII than subjects with other blood types. The mean level of FVIII was 142 IU/dL among AB subjects and 104 IU/dL among subjects with type O blood.
However, the investigators also found that FVIII mediated only 18% of the association between AB blood type and cognitive impairment.
Credit: Graham Colm
Individuals with type AB blood may be more likely than those with other blood types to develop memory loss in later years, according to a study published in Neurology.
Investigators found that people with AB blood were 82% more likely to develop cognitive impairment, which can lead to dementia.
Previous studies have shown that individuals with type O blood have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, factors that can increase the risk of memory loss and dementia.
The new research was part of a larger study—the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study—of more than 30,000 subjects who were followed for an average of 3.4 years.
“Our study looks at blood type and risk of cognitive impairment, but several studies have shown that factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia,” said Mary Cushman, MD, of 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. More research is needed to confirm these results.”
Dr Cushman and her colleagues had set out to assess the relationship between ABO group, factor VIII (FVIII), and incident cognitive impairment in a large, prospective cohort of black and white adults in the US.
The team used cognitive domain tests to assess cognitive impairment. They identified 495 subjects who had no cognitive impairment at baseline but became impaired during follow-up. The investigators then compared these cases with 587 control subjects.
It turned out that subjects with AB blood made up 6% of the group that developed cognitive impairment, which is higher than the 4% of AB individuals found in the general population.
Multivariate analysis—adjusted for age, race, region, and sex—suggested that subjects with AB blood and those with higher FVIII had an increased risk of cognitive impairment. The odds ratios were 1.82 and 1.24, respectively.
Subjects with AB blood had a higher average level of FVIII than subjects with other blood types. The mean level of FVIII was 142 IU/dL among AB subjects and 104 IU/dL among subjects with type O blood.
However, the investigators also found that FVIII mediated only 18% of the association between AB blood type and cognitive impairment.