New Delhi, February 9 (IANS). Blood groups are usually used only in emergency situations such as blood supply or transfusion. However, medical experts say that a person’s blood type can provide important information about his overall health and can also indicate his susceptibility to some serious diseases.
Scientific research has focused on how the risk of cancer may vary among people with different blood groups. Considering the increasing cases of cancer around the world, a study revealed a special link between blood type and stomach cancer.
According to a report published in the medical journal BMC Cancer in 2019, people with certain blood groups are more likely to develop gastric cancer than others. Stomach cancer, which is medically called gastric cancer, is caused by abnormal growth of cells in the inner layer of the stomach, which gradually damages healthy tissue.
The study found that people with blood groups A and AB have comparatively higher risk of this disease. The data showed that people with blood type A had about a 13 to 19 percent higher risk than people with blood group O, while people with blood group AB had as much as 18 percent risk. These results were later supported by meta-analysis of several studies.
In 2009, researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute confirmed the association between blood type and the risk of developing the disease. It was published online by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study was based on an analysis of blood type and incidence of pancreatic cancer in participants of two large health-tracking studies, the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Blood group A has been found to have a 32 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer and AB has a 51 percent higher risk. The A group had an increased risk of gastric cancer by 18-38 percent, while the O group had a lower risk of overall cancer (about 16 percent less).
According to experts, people with blood group A are more prone to infection with Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that is considered a major cause of stomach cancer. However, research shows that even in the absence of this infection, people with blood type A may be at greater risk. Conversely, for people with blood type AB, the presence of this bacteria may increase the chance of getting the disease.
However, medical experts emphasize that blood group alone should not be considered the direct or sole cause of cancer. Differences between blood types in control of inflammation, immune system response, cell-to-cell interactions, and stomach acid levels can all affect disease risk.
Doctors say that stomach cancer is usually caused by a combination of several factors, including poor diet, smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity, certain infections, and environmental influences. The disease is more common in Asia, Eastern Europe and parts of Latin America.
Health experts advise people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, eat a balanced diet, not use tobacco and get regular medical check-ups done, because these measures can significantly reduce the risk of stomach cancer and many other diseases.
–IANS
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