How do different Blood Types compare to various medical conditions?
There are some known blood type / disease – risk associations, where for instance Type O individuals have a marginally higher incidence of ulcers / H. Pylori infections compared to Type A, with pernicious anemia, diabetes, or certain types of cancer being more prevalent with Type A or B.
A 2009 Boston study confirmed findings from several decades earlier which suggested a blood type – malignancy risk association, whereby the chances of developing pancreatic cancer for instance were 32% higher for those with Type A blood, 51% greater for Type A-B, and 72% higher for Type B blood.
Types O and B also have greater susceptibility to infectious diseases such as scarlet fever, cholera, typhoid, or the bubonic plague, while Type A shows greater susceptibility to the smallpox virus, and it is more prone to blood clotting. Blood-sucking insects (that carry diseases) prefer Type O blood.
