Dementia: scientists have named the blood type that increases the risk of dementia

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A new a genetic factor associated with a higher risk of dementia and other cognitive conditions in old age.

This is the rarest blood type AB (fourth), occurring in about one in 25 people. The study found that the fourth group is overrepresented among people with memory and thinking problems. Study author Mary Cushman explains that blood type is only one of several factors that increase the risk of developing dementia.

“Blood type is also associated with other vascular diseases, such as stroke, so the results highlight the connection the connection between vascular problems and brain health. Additional research is needed to confirm these results.”

The authors of the study studied 30,000 people over a three-year period. Cushman's team identified a group of 495 people who developed cognitive problems during this time and a group of 587 people who did not suffer any cognitive problems.

The two groups were compared to see if there were any other differences that could be identified. The results have not yet been replicated in a larger study.

Factor VIII is a blood protein that helps with clotting. High levels of protein increase the risk of stroke because it can form clots in the small arteries of the brain and block blood flow. The proposed reason for this correlation is that blood type can affect your risk of many conditions that increase your chance of developing dementia.

Knowing which blood types are at greater risk for certain diseases may allow targeted approaches to people from the high-risk group.