Diabetes is a frightening disease that requires lifelong control. But while the condition can lead to some serious complications, staying ahead of diabetes will help you get the best result. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes if you are pre-diabetic. But even outside of that diagnosis, there are surprising factors that can increase the risk of developing the disease. According to one study, your blood type can actually affect your risk of diabetes. Read on to find out what your blood type means for your chances of diabetes and to learn more about what your blood type can predict. If you have this type of blood, your risk of heart attack is higher, the study says.
A 2014 study published in Diabetology, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, looked at more than 80,000 women to determine the relationship between blood type and risk of type 2 diabetes. During a follow-up in which 3,553 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the researchers found that those with a blood type did not have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with blood type O. The researchers said this assessment, although done only in women, can be associated with men as well, since “no biological mechanism is capable of explaining a sex-dependent association”.
“Our findings support a strong relationship between blood group and diabetes risk, with participants with blood type O having a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” co-author of the study. Guy Fagherazzi, PhD, director of the population health department at the Luxembourg Institute of Health, said in a statement. And for more ways to determine your chance of developing diabetes, this quick trick can determine your risk of diabetes, says the study.
According to the study, those with type A blood were 10 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes when compared to women who had type O blood. However, women with type B blood were 21 percent more likely than those with blood type O to develop type 2 diabetes. And when comparing all combinations of these blood types with negative O (O-), which is the group of universal donors, women with blood type B positive (B +) had the highest increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes with a 35 percent increase. And for more health guidelines, if you are taking this OTC medication more than twice a week, see a doctor.
Although the researchers noted that the reasoning behind the association between diabetes risk and blood type is still unknown, they offered some possible connections. According to the study, a protein in the blood known as von Willebrand factor is higher in non-O individuals and has been linked to elevated levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. The researchers also said that these blood types are associated with several molecules known to be related to type 2 diabetes. Finally, blood type can determine the overall composition of someone’s intestinal microbes, according to a 2012 study Intestinal microbes, and it affects metabolism, which plays a role in diabetes. And for the most up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Type 2 diabetes affects the way the “body regulates and uses sugar,” according to the Mayo Clinic. This condition increases blood sugar levels, which can be highly dangerous over time if left untreated and administered. According to the Mayo Clinic, the potential complications of diabetes include heart disease, nerve damage, kidney disease, eye damage and even dementia. Signs that you may have type 2 diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, fatigue and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet. And for more health advice, if you are doing this in the shower, doctors tell you to stop immediately.