The letters A, B, and O symbolize the ABO gene, which programs our blood cells to create blood types.
What Does Blood Type Really Mean?
AB blood types generate A and B antigens in red blood cells. Type O blood lacks antigens. Blood is “positive” or “negative,” depending on whether red blood cells have proteins. Rh positive means your blood contains proteins. Type O-negative blood has no antigens or proteins; thus, anybody may take it in an emergency.
What causes blood types? Dr. Douglas Guggenheim, a hematologist at Penn Medicine, says ancestry and prior illnesses may have contributed to the variety.
Type O blood may be more susceptible to cholera, whereas type A or B blood may cause coagulation problems. Blood can’t keep up with real-time biological or viral dangers, but it can reflect the past.
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“The body has evolved to guard its surroundings,” Guggenheim remarked.
RELATED: The Blood Type Chart Explained
The Blood Types Most At Risk For Heart Disease
According to the American Heart Association, those with type A, type B, or type AB blood are more likely to suffer a heart attack or heart failure.
While the increased risk is minimal (types A or B had a combined 8% greater risk of heart attack and 10% higher risk of heart failure), the difference in blood clotting rates is substantially bigger, the AHA notes.
People with type A and B blood were 51% more likely to suffer deep vein thrombosis and 47% more likely to develop a pulmonary embolism, which may cause heart failure.
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According to Guggenheim, type A, B, and AB blood may be more prone to inflammation. Type A and type B blood proteins may
