Type AB Blood? You May Be More Prone to Memory Loss

So is your doctor a shoot from the hip person and immediately ascribes your memory loss post-stroke to the stroke? Ask about the bias of Occams' razor and whether or not another reason might be the cause. You will need to force your doctor to think outside the box. At least I'm O negative.
Article here:
https://www.yahoo.com/health/type-ab-blood-you-may-be-more-prone-to-memory-loss-97230693847.html

Research here:
ABO blood type, factor VIII, and incident cognitive impairment in the REGARDS cohort

1. Kristine S. Alexander, PhD, MCR,
2. Neil A. Zakai, MD, MSc,
3. Sarah Gillett, PhD,
4. Leslie A. McClure, PhD,
5. Virginia Wadley, PhD,
6. Fred Unverzagt, PhD and
7. Mary Cushman, MD, MSc

+Show Affiliations

| + Show Full Disclosures

1. Correspondence to Dr. Cushman: mary.cushman@uvm.edu

1. Published online before print September 10, 2014, doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000844 Neurology 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000844

• Abstract
• Full Text (PDF)

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationships among ABO group, factor VIII (FVIII), and incident cognitive impairment in a large, prospective cohort study of black and white adults in the United States using a nested case-control design.

Methods: Incident cognitive impairment was defined using cognitive domain tests over a mean follow-up of 3.4 years. ABO blood group was measured by genotyping in a nested case-control sample of 495 cases with cognitive impairment and 587 controls.

Results: Those with blood group AB and those with higher FVIII had an increased risk of cognitive impairment, adjusting for age, race, region, and sex (respective odds ratios 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–2.90; and 1.24, 95% CI 1.10–1.38 for 40 IU/dL higher FVIII). Mean FVIII was higher in those with blood type AB (142 IU/dL; 95% CI 119–165) compared with O (104 IU/dL; 95% CI 101–107), and FVIII mediated 18% of the association between AB group and incident cognitive impairment (95% CI for mediation −30% to 68%).

Conclusions: Blood group AB and higher FVIII were associated with increased incidence of cognitive impairment in this prospective study. The association of blood group AB with incident cognitive impairment was not significantly mediated by FVIII levels.