The risk of having a stroke at an early age may depend in part on a person’s blood type, according to a new study. Blood group A, in particular, is an important risk factor.
The new findings, published in the journal Neurology, come from 48 studies conducted worldwide. They included around 17,000 people who had had a stroke before the age of 60, a group of people who had a stroke at an older age and a control group of healthy people.
On average, the researchers found that people with blood type A had a 16% higher risk of having a stroke before the age of 60, compared to people with other blood types. In contrast, blood group O was linked to a 12% decrease in this risk.
However, according to scientists, blood type does not have a strong influence on the onset of cardiac arrest. “People with blood group A should not worry”, said researcher Braxton Mitchell, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Many factors affect a person’s risk of stroke. Some of these factors, unlike blood type, can be changed. Preventive actions include avoiding smoking, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet, Braxton Michel said.
Picture by Markéta Machová of Pixabay
