Association of ABO and Rh blood group systems with blood pressure in a population sample from Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan

Abundant literature is available on the association of blood groups to various diseases. It was thus hypothesized that similar linkage may also exist between blood groups and Hypertension, which prompted me to work on this project. This study was carried out from June 2001 to September 2003 on 1304 subjects out of which 756 were male and 548 were females. Age ranged from 18-65 years. The blood groups and blood pressure were determined in PMRC Research Center KMC Peshawar, by using standard methods. Out of 1304 subjects distribution of blood groups was such that blood group B [30.1%]> O [29.7%] >A [28.5%]>AB [10.1%]. No significant difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was found among the all groups. However significant differences existed between the two sexes within blood group B and O for systolic BP and A and O groups for diastolic BP. Significant differences in systolic BP were found between A+ve and O+ve phenotypes only. A-ve males had lower systol ic BP than O-ve males. Substantially more conspicuous Rh factor associated differences became evident among the ABO phenotypes. Nearly similar trends were evident for systolic and diastolic blood pressure as age of both genders of the A, B and AB phenotypes advanced. Statistically significant [P<0.05] increase above the age of 16-20 years group was noticed at least as far as the 41-50 years age groups. Especially highly significant increase in systolic and diastolic Blood pressure in Group A [both males and females] and in Group B and AB [females only] was noticed. It is advisable that the males having blood group O-ve and females having AB-ve should be aware of their blood pressure and maintain it with in the normal limits especially by changing their lifestyle

Association of ABO, Rh blood groups systems with lipids and other anthropometric co variables as predictors of cardiovascular risk in NWFP, Pakistan

Aims and Objects: The present study was carried out to find the possibility of association of lipid profile with ABO/Rh blood groups and other anthropometric co- variables as cardiovascular risk. Material and A community-based investigation was carried out on lipid profiles and blood groups of selected population of rural and urban areas of Peshawar. NWFP on total of 1304 subjects out of which 548 were females and 756 were males. Age ranged from 16-75 years. Due emphasis was laid in the study on anthropometric parameters [age, height, body weight and body mass index] blood pressure and dietary parameters. Blood grouping revealed distribution of various blood groups in the order of their predominance being B>O>A>AB. The Rh- positive subjects were 94.6% of the total. Sex wise analysis of anthropometric data, blood pressure including pulse rate and lipid profiles prior to partitioning by Rh factor revealed only sporadic significant differences among the various ABO blood phenotypes. When the ABO phenotypes were partitioned according to Rh factor and gender, substantially more significant Rh factor associated differences were seen among the ABO phenotypes. Most of the lipid profile parameters for the sample do not provide enough evidence of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular risk. The A and A B Phenotypes show lesser long term risk if any. The B and 0 phenotypes have relatively higher tendency of adverse lipid/lipoprotein metabolism and hence invite greater attention from therapeutic point of view. There is no evidence of predisposition of phenotype A as a co marker of risk of cardiovascular disorders