Compared to other blood types, young adults having this blood group face a higher risk of early stroke, says a new study.

A new meta-analysis done by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) suggests that a person’s blood type may be related to their chance of suffering an early stroke.

The journal Neurology published the findings today.

The meta-analysis looked at all of the available data from genetic studies that focused on ischemic strokes, which happen when blood flow to the brain is blocked in adults under 60.

“The number of people with early strokes,” according to study co-principal investigator Steven J. Kittner, “is rising. 

“These people are more likely to die from the life-threatening event, and survivors potentially face decades with disability. Despite this, there is little research on the causes of early strokes.” 

In the study, he and his colleagues performed a meta-analysis of 48 papers on genetics and ischemic stroke, which included 17,000 stroke patients and nearly 600,000 healthy controls who had never had a stroke.

The researchers next examined all collected chromosomes to detect genetic variants related to stroke and discovered a link between early-onset stroke (occurring before the age of 60) and the region of the chromosome that contains the gene that determines blood type (A, AB, B, or O).

In comparison to those who experienced a stroke later in life or never experienced one at all, those who experienced an early ischemic event were more likely to have blood type A and less likely to have blood type O (the most common blood type).

Blood type B was also associated with an increased risk of stroke, both early and late, compared to controls.

After taking into account gender and other factors, they found that people with blood type A were 18 percent more likely to have a stroke early than those with other blood types.

The risk of having a stroke was 12 percent lower in blood type O carriers than in other blood types.

“Our meta-analysis,” as explained by study co-principal investigator Braxton D. Mitchell, “looked at people’s genetic profiles and found associations between blood type and risk of early-onset stroke. The association of blood type with later-onset stroke was much weaker than what we found with early stroke.”

The researchers stressed that the risk of an early-onset stroke was very low and that people with type A blood need not be concerned about this or undergo additional screening or medical tests.

“We still don’t know why blood type A would confer a higher risk, but,” Dr. Kittner added, “it likely has something to do with blood-clotting factors like platelets and cells that line the blood vessels as well as other circulating proteins, all of which play a role in the development of blood clots.”

According to earlier research, those with an A blood type may be somewhat more likely to experience deep vein thrombosis, a form of a blood clot that occurs in the legs. 

He continued, “we clearly need more follow-up studies to clarify the mechanisms of increased stroke risk.”

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