If you have this blood type, your risk of a heart attack is higher

Your heart health is one of the most important things you need to maintain – heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). But you need to be especially aware of your chances of having a heart attack, as these cardiovascular events are responsible for almost 85% of all heart disease deaths. And according to research from January, your blood type may actually increase your risk for a heart attack. Read on to find out if you should be worried, and to learn more about your heart health, the size of this body part could mean your heart is in danger, study finds.

Researchers set out to find out how blood group plays a role in heart attack risk, releasing their results Jan. 23 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, a journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). The study, which analyzed more than 400,000 people, found that people with blood group A or B had an 8% higher combined risk of a heart attack than those with blood group O.

A similar study involving over 1.36 million people was performed by the European Society of Cardiology in 2017. This earlier study produced consistent results, as researchers determined that people with non-O blood types were at risk. 9% increased coronary and cardiovascular events. , especially heart attacks. And to learn more about the risks associated with your blood type, that blood type makes you more likely to catch COVID, according to a new study.

When the 2021 study researchers compared blood groups A and B with blood group O, they found an increased risk of heart attack with blood group B. According to the study, people with type B were at risk. 15% increased myocardial infarction, otherwise known as a heart attack, compared to those of type O. And for more health problems, if you take this over-the-counter medicine more than twice a week, see a doctor. doctor.

When it comes to heart failure, however, people with blood type A are most at risk. According to the 2021 study, non-O blood groups had a combined increased risk of 10% when comparing heart failure to blood group O. But blood group A had a significantly higher risk, with an increased risk of 11. % heart failure relative to blood. type O. According to WebMD, both heart failure and heart attack are forms of heart disease, but heart failure tends to develop gradually while heart attacks come on more suddenly. Heart attacks can also lead to heart failure over time. And for more up to date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.

According to the European Society of Cardiology, the increased risk of heart attack or heart failure between these non-O blood groups may be because they are more likely to develop blood clots. Researchers in the 2017 study explained that carriers of non-O blood groups have “higher concentrations of von Willebrand factor, a blood clotting protein that has been associated with thrombotic events.”

And the results of the 2021 study confirm this. According to this more recent study, people with type A and type B blood were 44% more likely to experience thrombosis or a blood clot. As the North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF) explains on its website, blood clots play a major role in heart attacks because they can “block the coronary artery and deprive the heart muscle of oxygen and of nutrients, leading to a heart attack “. And to learn more about your blood type, here is the blood type mosquitoes like the most.