The new research is based on connecting large databases to investigate whether there is a connection between patients' blood type and certain diseases.
All in all, they have looked at around five million Swedes and 1,200 diagnoses, and the researchers' results show that in some cases there are strong connections.
- The clearest thing is that blood clot disease is linked to blood group 0. In this case, the blood group clearly and the result is reinforced by what we know from previous research, says Martin L Olsson who is a professor at Lund University.
There have also been connections that the researchers did not know about before.
And the scope of the study gives hope that it is about more than chance.
- That blood group B protects against kidney stones is completely new.
We do not know why but need to do more research to understand, but there are very significant connections.
The risk that it would be a coincidence is negligible with such a large material.
The knowledge can be widely used
In the past, information about blood groups is central when healthcare is to perform blood transfusions or organ transplants.
It is still important, but the new research may in the long run lead to better diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases, such as cancer.
- We saw a very clear connection between pancreatic cancer and blood group A. We now see the connections and can now investigate what they are due to, says Martin L Olsson.
Many completely unaware
The knowledge of which blood type you have can therefore be quite important.
If you have donated blood or had children, the probability is high that you are in control, but many are completely unaware of what blood type they actually have.
When healthcare, as now, is under pressure, it is also not entirely obvious to contact healthcare just to find out, but then the professor and doctor Martin L Olsson has a proposal.
- Become a blood donor. You find out your blood type and at the same time make a good effort. A bag of blood can actually save three lives, he says.