One Blood Type Seems to Carry a Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

From health.yahoo.com

By Michelle Starr

Depending on your blood type, it's possible you could carry a higher diabetes risk, research suggests.

According to a 2024 review, people with blood type B – either positive or negative – face a slightly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people with non-B blood types.

How much higher? 

About 28 percent, on average. That might not seem huge, but it may be significant enough to tip the scales if other risk factors are involved.

"Numerous systematic reviews with meta-analyses have been published, which explored correlations between ABO and Rhesus blood groups with various health outcomes," wrote a team led by epidemiologist Fang-Hua Liu of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University.

"However, to date, the association between these blood groups and human health outcomes remains controversial. The current umbrella review included 51 systematic reviews with meta-analysis articles with 270 associations.

"We recalculated each association and found only one [instance of] convincing evidence for an association between blood group B and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk compared with the non-B blood group."

(Douglas Sacha/Moment/Getty Images)

Human blood is categorized into eight main groups based on the sugars and proteins, or lack thereof, present on the surface of your red blood cells.

A, B, and AB types are based on the presence of antigens – sugar molecules that can trigger an immune response. O-type blood has no A or B antigens. Meanwhile, Rhesus (Rh) factors are proteins that determine blood compatibility and give your blood its positive or negative designation.

Previous studies have suggested that these subtle differences in our blood cells may be linked to increased vulnerability to certain diseases.

Liu and colleagues embarked on their study to systematically evaluate links between blood type and disease across a catalogue of around 270 different health outcomes.

A systematic review is a study that reviews published papers on a given topic and analyses their results collectively. An umbrella review compiles systematic reviews – a sort of giant synthesis that provides a wider overview.

Think of individual studies as trees; a systematic review is like standing outside a copse, while an umbrella review is like flying a drone over a whole forest of copses.

Blood type (or blood group) is partly determined by the ABO blood group antigens present on red blood cells. 

Antibodies in our blood plasma detect when a foreign antigen marker is present.  (InvictaHOG/Wikimedia Commons/public) domain)

"We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and several regional databases on the date from inception until Feb 16, 2024, to identify systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies evaluating associations between ABO as well as Rh blood groups and diverse health outcomes," the researchers explained.

To sort through the 270 reported links between blood group and disease, the researchers put each one through a series of statistical stress tests designed to weed out weak or unreliable findings.

They examined the strength of the evidence, whether results were consistent across different studies, and whether the datasets were large enough to be trustworthy.

They also checked for signs of bias, such as small studies exaggerating effects or an unusually high number of positive results.

Crucially, they asked whether each association would likely hold up if tested again in future research. Most of the associations didn't pass these checks.

In the end, just one link, between blood type B and type 2 diabetes, met the highest standard of evidence.

That suggests that the link is real, albeit relatively small: just 28 percent higher than the current baseline. That's much smaller than the risk associated with diet, weight, or lifestyle.

Just 50 grams of processed meat a day, for example, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 37 percent. A sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk by 112 percent. And being overweight is one of the strongest risk factors known.

The researchers also didn't examine what might drive this increased risk. A 2025 study suggests that the gut microbiome may be involved; however, further investigation is needed.

The results do suggest that there's a real, tangible association between blood type and type 2 diabetes – one that people can factor into how they think about their own risk.

Still, your blood type alone won't make or break your diabetes risk. Diet, activity levels, and weight matter far more – this is just one more piece of a puzzle scientists are still putting together.

The research was published in BMC Medicine.

https://health.yahoo.com/conditions/endocrine/diabetes/articles/one-blood-type-seems-carry-200000511.html

These Seemingly Minor Symptoms Could Actually Be Signs Of Diabetes

From health.yahoo.com

Roughly 75% of Americans have some sort of chronic disease, which is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as a health issue that lasts for more than one year and either limits someone's functioning or requires continuous medical care.

This includes a range of illnesses, including diabetes, which affects about 40 million people in the United States. 

"Diabetes, in general, is a disorder in which the blood sugar is elevated, and the body doesn't have enough insulin, which is a hormone that lowers your blood sugar," said Dr. Lisa Swartz Topor, the program director of paediatric endocrinology at Rhode Island Hospital and its Hasbro Children's.

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1, "which is the most common form in paediatric patients," Swartz Topor said. "There is a destruction of the body's ability to make the insulin."

Then there is "type 2 diabetes, which is more common in adults; the body's still able to make insulin, especially at the beginning of the disease, but not enough insulin to keep up with what the body needs," she said.

Roughly 95% of diabetes cases in the U.S. are type 2, according to the CDC.

There are treatments available for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, such as GLP-1 medications. While there is no cure, the disease can still be managed to avoid greater complications.

"For any form of diabetes, the end game is higher sugars and high sugars in the bloodstream ... the high sugars over time can cause injury to different organs in the body, like the eyes, the kidneys or the heart, as well as other things," Swartz Topor said.

Permanent damage can be delayed (or stopped altogether) if patients with diabetes follow their doctor's treatment guidance.

"If we can keep the blood sugar level closer to the target range ... that end organ damage is less likely to occur and occurs further down the line," Swartz Topor said.

While adults can get diabetes screenings (for example, the routine A1C blood test that measures blood sugar), it's still important to know the concerning signs so you can reach out to your doctor.

Increased urination, vision changes and thickening of the skin can all happen when diabetes isn't diagnosed and managed. SimpleImages via Getty Images

Below, doctors share the diabetes symptoms they really want you to know:

1. Frequent urination and increased thirstiness.

"For Type 1 diabetes, the classic symptoms ... [are] increased thirstiness and increased frequency of urination, particularly large volumes of urination," Swartz Topor said. Type 1 also tends to be more symptomatic.

As for Type 2, it "can be very slow, so someone can have it for quite a long time without even realizing it," she noted.

Even still, Type 2 diabetes can also cause a lot of thirst and urination, said Dr. Archana Sadhu, an endocrinologist at Houston Methodist Diabetes Associates. "This is common for both type 1 and type 2 because this comes from the high levels of sugar in the blood," Sadhu noted.

2. Fatigue and weight loss.

"You can also have fatigue or just lack of energy," Sadhu said. "Lack of concentration is another one, and just feeling unwell."

Weight loss, along with an increased appetite, can also occur. As Sadhu explained, "Weight loss can be something that you see because of the frequent urination from the high sugar in the blood; there'll be high sugar in the urine as well, and patients are losing calories and weight as a result of that."

These symptoms can also occur in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

3. A thickening of the skin at the neck or groin.

Increased urination, thirst, fatigue and weight loss tend to be the most common signs of diabetes, but there are other changes that can happen, too. With type 2 diabetes, people can develop thickened skin in the neck, groin, or armpits, known as acanthosis nigricans, Swartz Topor said.

It appears as a thickening or darkening of the skin around skin folds. It even looks a little like dirt. "It could be a sign of prediabetes or diabetes," she added.

3. Vision changes.

Many issues can cause vision loss, but sudden changes in your vision can signal diabetes.

"When the sugars are really high, it can temporarily change the shape of the lens in your eye, and that could lead to blurry vision," Swartz Topor said. "There's a million causes for blurry vision, but if it's new, it's worth seeing someone."

This can happen in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, Swartz Topor added.

4. Recurrent yeast infections.

Recurrent yeast infections are another potential sign of diabetes, Swartz Topor said.

This is true for both kids and adults, but Swartz Topor stressed that yeast infections are highly unusual, particularly if a child is no longer in diapers yet not at puberty age.

"That could be a sign of high sugars, because yeast loves sugar," she said.

Certain risk factors for diabetes, along with ways to lower your risk, exist.

Certain lifestyle factors and genetic factors put some groups of people at higher risk of developing diabetes.

"The most prominent one would be a family history, and this is really strong for Type 2 diabetes, but also for Type 1," Sadhu said. If you have a family history, it's worth talking to your doctor to make sure you're getting the appropriate screenings.

For Type 2 diabetes, obesity is also a risk factor, along with a sedentary lifestyle, Sadhu noted, "where we're not using glucose and burning it off like we should."

"Dietary intake ... eating high-carb foods, highly processed foods with simple carbs, are all risk factors for type 2 diabetes," she added.

Making healthy changes to diet and exercise habits can lower your overall diabetes risk by 50%, she noted. This could mean eating more fruits, more veggies, drinking water instead of juice and exercising.

It's never too late to make healthy changes, Sadhu said, but it's even more valuable to start these habits in the younger people in your life.

If you are diagnosed with either type of diabetes, both doctors stressed that there are many treatments available, along with some exciting advancements in development.

It can feel overwhelming to manage diabetes, but, again, it is important to do so for your long-term health. Consider talking to your doctor, or even a dietitian, about prevention or treatment so you can make the health decisions that are right for your body, Swartz Topor said.

https://health.yahoo.com/conditions/endocrine/diabetes/articles/seemingly-minor-symptoms-could-actually-100017291.html