According to a new study conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, a blood type can be used for assessing the risk of an early stroke or a stroke before the age of 60. For the study, the researchers at UMSOM studied the genetic data of patients suffering from ischemic stroke.
Ischemic stroke is a condition that is caused by the stoppage of blood flow to the parts of the brain, causing the brain tissues to be oxygen- and nutrient-deficient. Because of the lack of oxygen and essential nutrients, the brain starts to die in a few minutes, resulting in brain damage. If the condition is not treated immediately, the stroke can result in severe brain damage or death of the person. Hence, ischemic stroke is considered a medical emergency.
The researchers at the UMSOM performed a meta-analysis of the already published studies on ischemic stroke linked with the person’s genetics. During this study, the researchers found that the gene responsible for determining the blood type of a person was correlated with the risk of an early stroke i.e., stroke before the age of 60.
Based on the findings of the meta-analysis, people with the A blood type are more likely to have an ischemic stroke before the age of 60, than people with other blood types. It also concluded that people with an O blood type were at the lowest risk for an ischemic stroke. In people with a B blood type, the risk for early stroke as well as late stroke was similar. Upon detailed analysis, researchers quoted that this correlation between blood types and the risk for stroke mainly applied only to an early stroke. The correlation between blood types and late stroke was minimal in comparison to early stroke.
But If you are a person with A blood type and are now worrying about the increased risk of an early stroke, you can relax. It is because the researchers also quoted that this increased risk of an early stroke was low in comparison to the other factors responsible for the stroke. Hence, although people with A blood type are more susceptible to an early stroke than people with other blood types, it is nowhere near the signs for increasing the frequency of medical screening for monitoring the signs of stroke.
Although the findings of the study highlight the high risk of early stroke in people with A blood type, the researchers are still not clear about the mechanism which is followed here. Researchers linked this new finding with the higher risk of deep vein thrombosis in patients with A type. This is because, in deep vein thrombosis, people with the A blood type, have a higher risk of developing blood clots in veins present in the legs. This elevated risk of blood clots can also be responsible for an early stroke. But still, the researchers have suggested the need of performing more in-depth studies to understand the mechanism behind this correlation.
In the end, stroke is a lifestyle-dependent disorder that can be avoided by accepting a healthy lifestyle. So, instead of increasing the frequency of your medical visits, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you stay away from not just stroke but also other lifestyle-dependent disorders. Person's blood type can now notify the risk of an early stroke
Yash Ranjan09/01/2022
According to a new study conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, a blood type can be used for assessing the risk of an early stroke or a stroke before the age of 60. For the study, the researchers at UMSOM studied the genetic data of patients suffering from ischemic stroke.
Ischemic stroke is a condition that is caused by the stoppage of blood flow to the parts of the brain, causing the brain tissues to be oxygen- and nutrient-deficient. Because of the lack of oxygen and essential nutrients, the brain starts to die in a few minutes, resulting in brain damage. If the condition is not treated immediately, the stroke can result in severe brain damage or death of the person. Hence, ischemic stroke is considered a medical emergency.
The researchers at the UMSOM performed a meta-analysis of the already published studies on ischemic stroke linked with the person’s genetics. During this study, the researchers found that the gene responsible for determining the blood type of a person was correlated with the risk of an early stroke i.e., stroke before the age of 60.
Based on the findings of the meta-analysis, people with the A blood type are more likely to have an ischemic stroke before the age of 60, than people with other blood types. It also concluded that people with an O blood type were at the lowest risk for an ischemic stroke. In people with a B blood type, the risk for early stroke as well as late stroke was similar. Upon detailed analysis, researchers quoted that this correlation between blood types and the risk for stroke mainly applied only to an early stroke. The correlation between blood types and late stroke was minimal in comparison to early stroke.
But If you are a person with A blood type and are now worrying about the increased risk of an early stroke, you can relax. It is because the researchers also quoted that this increased risk of an early stroke was low in comparison to the other factors responsible for the stroke. Hence, although people with A blood type are more susceptible to an early stroke than people with other blood types, it is nowhere near the signs for increasing the frequency of medical screening for monitoring the signs of stroke.
Although the findings of the study highlight the high risk of early stroke in people with A blood type, the researchers are still not clear about the mechanism which is followed here. Researchers linked this new finding with the higher risk of deep vein thrombosis in patients with A type. This is because, in deep vein thrombosis, people with the A blood type, have a higher risk of developing blood clots in veins present in the legs. This elevated risk of blood clots can also be responsible for an early stroke. But still, the researchers have suggested the need of performing more in-depth studies to understand the mechanism behind this correlation.
In the end, stroke is a lifestyle-dependent disorder that can be avoided by accepting a healthy lifestyle. So, instead of increasing the frequency of your medical visits, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you stay away from not just stroke but also other lifestyle-dependent disorders. 
