Blood Type Could Determine Risk Of Certain Health Problems

BOSTON (CBS) – Do you know your blood type? The answer could determine your risk of certain health problems later in life. In fact, as Dr. Mallika Marshall reports, one type has been linked to a higher risk of memory loss. TripAdvisor employees donating blood at a Red Cross blood drive in Newton were surprised to hear that their blood type could affect their health. “I didn’t know that blood type was tied to disease risk,” one woman said. For example, people with type A blood may be more likely to get heart disease. And type B? Perhaps a higher risk of throat cancer. Now a new study finds that people with AB blood, the rarest type, may be more likely to develop memory loss. Dr. Ali Atri, a memory disorder specialist at Mass General, says researchers are just starting to make potential connections between blood type and disease. “They found that, yes, people with AB and higher levels of the clotting factor probably had a higher risk of developing cognitive impairment,” Dr. Atri said. “There seems to be a bit of smoke there. I don’t think we’ve found the source of the fire. But there’s definitely something that elevates our risk with certain types of blood types.” Erin Millard from Boston is AB + and wasn’t exactly surprised by the news. “My mom and my grandma do tend to forget things and they’re both AB + so it could be a possibility,” Millard says. “Hopefully that doesn’t happen for me.” Dr....
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Local News Seen On WBZ-TV Syndicated Local Watch Listen blood type Cancer Dementia Mallika Marshall Red Cross Source Type: news