The researchers examined centenarians, and they did not expect “that”.
The blood group is mainly used to determine blood compatibility between people, which is essential for blood transfusions, organ transplants and pregnancies. It would also give clues to longevity. Japanese researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at Keio University in Tokyo have discovered an association between one of the 4 blood groups and a longer life expectancy.
To achieve this conclusion, they compared the blood groups of 269 centenarians (aged 100 to 109) living in Tokyo and 7,153 witnesses (all age) in the same region. They examined their health (hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, fractures, pulmonary disorders …) and their conclusions were surprising. “”The abundance of blood group centenarians o, since research has shown that the heart risk was lower in people of blood group O. However, the frequency of the blood group O in centenarians tended to be lower than expected. Instead, we found a possible association of the B blood group B with exceptional longevity“Report researchers in their study published in the journal Experimental Gerontology. In other words, people in group B would tend to live longer than others.
The mechanisms by which the blood group would influence longevity is not yet fully understood and additional research is necessary. However, several hypotheses have been proposed by scientists. For example, the group B immune system could work differently and provide protection against certain infections or diseases, which influences life expectancy. They also advance the fact that the B blood group would be able to slow down the inflammatory processes in the body (often associated with premature aging and many age -related diseases) and to better regenerate cells or tissues. On the other hand, no link was found between the B blood group B and the presence of serious illnesses, such as cancers.
The Blood group B is rather a minority in Japan (~ 20% of Japanese are group b) unlike groups A and O found in 70% of the Japanese population. In France, less than 1 person in 10 is part of the Blood group B. It is important to recall that these results are still preliminary and that many other factors, such as genetics, lifestyle, food and the environment, have a much more important impact than the blood group on longevity.