Can Your Blood Type Cause Memory Loss?

Researchers have directly linked memory loss to AB blood type in at-risk individuals, according to a recent study.

According to researchers, only 4% of the United States population carries the AB blood type. Out of that small percentage, 82% of individuals with the AB blood type were more likely to have memory and cognitive difficulty that could lead to dementia.

For the study, researchers evaluated data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study, which followed 30,000 participants for a 3.4-year duration.
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Researchers found 495 individuals that developed cognitive and memory problems during the study. After they compared those participants with 587 individuals without cognitive impairment, they discovered 6% of participants with memory loss had the AB blood type.

Investigators noted that they examined blood-protein levels for high levels of factor VIII, which have associated with dementia and memory problems in the past.

The evaluation showed that AB blood type individuals yielded higher levels of factor VIII compared to participants with other blood types.

Researchers further noted that 24% of participants (with high levels of factor VIII) had a greater chance of manifesting memory problems than those with lower levels of the protein.

According to the  authors, more research needs to be conducted to further support the study’s results.

The complete study is published in the September issue of Neurology.

-Michelle Canales

Reference:

Medical News Today. Memory loss more common in people with blood type AB. September 7, 2014. www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282051.php. Accessed September 8, 2014.