title: Blood type B might imply longevity.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between blood groups and life expectancy. We compared frequencies of ABO blood group in 269 centenarians (persons over 100 years) living in Tokyo and those in regionally matched controls (n=7153). Frequencies of blood types A, O, B, and AB in centenarians were 34.2, 28.3, 29.4, and 8.2%, respectively, while those in controls were 38.6, 30.1, 21.9, and 9.4%, respectively. Blood type B was observed more frequently in centenarians than in controls (chi(2)=8.41, P=0.04). This tendency also was true in comparison between centenarians and 118 elderly old individuals of the 7153. Approximate one-third of the centenarians were free from serious diseases such as malignancy. However, blood types were not associated with such medical records. Our findings suggest that blood type B might be associated with exceptional longevity. Responsible mechanisms need to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Health Care Center, Shoko-Chukin Bank, 2-10-17 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0028, Japan. shimizu_kenichiro@1986.jukuin.keio.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kenichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Nobuyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ebihara
authors.forename: Yasumichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamamatsu
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: Yukie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masui
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gondo
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: Kanoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System