Blood types are determined by the presence or absence of certain antigens – substances that can trigger an immune response if they are foreign to the body. Since some antigens can trigger a patient’s immune system to attack the transfused blood, safe blood transfusions depend on careful blood typing and cross-matching. Do you know what blood type is safe for you if you need a transfusion?
There are four major blood groups determined by the presence or absence of two antigens, A and B, on the surface of red blood cells. In addition to the A and B antigens, there is a protein called the Rh factor, which can be either present (+) or absent (–), creating the 8 most common blood types (A+, A-, B+, B-, O+, O-, AB+, AB-).
Universal donors are those with an O negative blood type. Why? O negative blood can be used in transfusions for any blood type.
Type O is routinely in short supply and in high demand by hospitals – both because it is the most common blood type and because type O negative blood is the universal blood type needed for emergency transfusions and for immune deficient infants.
How Is My Blood Type Determined?
It’s inherited. Like eye color, blood type is passed genetically from your parents. Whether your blood group is type A, B, AB or O is based on the blood types of your mother and father.
Your Blood Type Can Affect Your Health through the following ways;
Heart Disease
There’s good news for O blood types. Research shows your risk of coronary heart disease tends to be lower. Experts aren’t sure why. Some think it might be because other types are more likely to have higher cholesterol and higher amounts of a protein that’s linked to clotting.
Stomach Cancer
A, AB, and B blood types are more at risk than type Os. Specifically, people with type A blood are more likely to get stomach cancer. Researchers think this might be because H. pylori infection is more common in people with type A blood. That’s a bacteria that’s usually found in the stomach. It can cause inflammation and ulcers.
Memory
A small study showed that people with memory problems had type AB blood more than any other.
Stress
Stress boosts your body’s level of cortisol, the stress hormone. People with type A blood tend to have more cortisol, anyway. So you may have a harder time dealing with stressful situations.
Malaria
Type O blood may help ward off this disease. You can get malaria when an infected mosquito bites you. The parasite that causes it has a harder time attaching itself to type O blood cells.
Ulcers
Peptic ulcers — painful open sores that crop up in the lining of your stomach or upper intestine — seem to happen more often with blood type O.
Blood Clots
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is when your blood clots in a deep vein, like the ones in your legs. These clots sometimes move to your lungs. Research shows that people with type A, B, or AB blood are at a higher risk of VTE.
Life Span
Chances are higher you’ll live longer if you have type O blood. Experts think your lowered risk of disease in your heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease) may be one reason for this.
Fertility
Your blood type can’t predict whether you’ll get pregnant, but it may play a role. In one study, women with low numbers of healthy eggs were more likely to have type O blood than any other type. More research is needed to figure out why.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes seems to happen more often in people with blood types A and B. Experts aren’t sure why. More research is needed.
Stroke
Your risk for a stroke goes up if you have blood type AB. Doctors think that’s because it’s more likely to clot than other types.
Credit: webmd
