Having type ‘O’ blood may give some protection against heart attacks.

Blood group ‘O’ protects people against heart attacks , say researchers.  A new study, published in The Lancet journal, has revealed that the same gene which creates the enzyme that causes people to be blood group ‘O’ gives them some protection against heart attacks.

The study was carried out by an international team led by researchers from Cardiovascular Institute at Pennsylvania University in the US.For their study, the researchers compared almost 6,000 people who had suffered a heart attack with 7,400 people who had a type of coronary heart disease , but had not had a heart attack. They described the association as “notable, in view of decades of work suggesting a relation between ABO bloodgroups and both thrombosis and coronary heart disease” .

However, the study did not look to quantify how much extra protection being blood group ‘O’ might give someone from having a heart attack.

“Certain genes predispose to heart artery plaque buildup, whereas different genes lead to heart attack when you already have plaque build-up ,” said study author Muredach Reilly, an associate professor of medicine at the Cardiovascular Institute of the University of Pennsylvania.

One of the more heartprotective genes also helps direct people to have type O blood, the team reported. The study suggests the multifaceted relationship between genetics and cardiovascular health, Reilly said. “Not all genes for heart disease are equal and therefore have to be used differently in new treatments for heart disease and when assessing risk of heart disease,” he said.

But one expert cautioned while blood type O may offer some protection from heart attack in people with coronary artery disease, that doesn’t mean that your blood type alone will spare you from cardiovascular trouble.

Via Times of India