A-Positive Blood Type: Health Effects, Transfusion, and More (2024)

A-Positive Blood Type: Health Effects, Transfusion, and More (1)

Medically Reviewed By William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS

— Written By Dan Amankwah

Updated on March 1, 2023

A-positive blood type, or Type A+, is blood that has type A antigens and a positive rhesus (Rh) factor. Antigens and Rh factor are both proteins on the surface of your red blood cells.Knowing your blood type is important for many reasons, including preventing wrong transfusions in emergency situations.

This article covers what factors determine blood type and how it affects health, as well as blood type diets, donation, transfusions, rare blood types, and statistics.

What is blood type?

A-Positive Blood Type: Health Effects, Transfusion, and More (2)

Blood type is the immunologic identity of your blood. It is based on Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source whether you have certain antigens on the surface of your red blood cells.An antigen is a substance that causes an immune response in the body.

Experts commonly use the ABO and Rh systems to group blood types.

The ABO system puts blood types into four categories: A, B, AB, and O. The Rh system complements the ABO system by assigning a positive or negative sign to blood types.

Below is a breakdown of the ABO blood types:

  • Type A: has A antigens on the red blood cell surface and anti-B antibodies in the plasma
  • Type B: has B antigens on the red blood cell surface and anti-A antibodies in the plasma
  • Type O: has both anti-A and anti-B antibodies on the surface, and both anti-A and anti-B antibodies in the plasma
  • Type AB: has both A and B antigens on the surface, but no antibodies in the plasma

Depending on whether Rh factor is present or absent, a person’s blood type can be positive or negative. This means a person can typically have 1 of 8 different blood types:

  • A-positive (A+)
  • A-negative (A–)
  • B-positive (B+)
  • B-negative (B–)
  • O-positive (O+)
  • O-negative (O–)
  • AB-positive (AB+)
  • AB-negative (AB–)

The genes you inherit from your parents determine Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source the blood type you have.

The majority of people have an Rh-positive blood type. A+ is one of the most common blood types, accounting for around 1 in 3 blood types.

Learn about Rh factor.

Non-ABO blood types

Some blood types do not fall under the ABO group, due to different antigens. One such blood type is Rhnull or “golden blood.”

Rhnull is an extremely rare Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source blood type with no Rh antigens.

Learn more about rare blood types.

Why does blood type matter?

Your blood type can increase your risk of certain conditions and lower your risk of others. This is because the characteristics found in the genes responsible for the different blood types are linked to the likelihood of developing other medical conditions.

A 2021 research review Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source investigated the link between ABO blood types and various health conditions. The researchers reported the following findings:

  • Type A: This may increase a person’s risk of smallpox and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
  • Type B: This may raise the risk of gonorrhea, tuberculosis, E. coli, and other infections.
  • Type AB: This may increase the risk of cognitive impairment, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. AB may also raise your risk of smallpox, E. coli, and Salmonella infections.
  • Type O: This may raise a person’s risk of cholera, plague, tuberculosis infections, and mumps.

Another review from 2014 Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source also looked at the associations between the different blood groups and various health conditions. The researchers reported the following findings:

  • Type A and AB: These may increase a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots in the veins.
  • Type A: This may raise the risk of chronic hepatitis-B infection and pancreatic cancer.
  • Type B: This may increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
  • Type O: This may increase a person’s protection against falciparum malaria. However, it may also increase the severity of Vibrio cholerae infection, the pathogen that causes cholera.
  • Non-O blood groups: These types may increase the risk of cerebral venous thrombosis, a condition that causes a blood clot to form in one of your brain’s larger veins.

A 2021 study also indicates that Type A and Type AB could raise a person’s risk of COVID-19, while Type O could reduce the risk.

However, having a certain blood type does not necessarily mean that you will develop a condition more commonly associated with that blood type. If you have any concerns, you may wish to contact your doctor about ways to reduce your risk of these conditions.

Learn more about how blood types can affect your health.

Donation and transfusions

It is critical Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source to receive a compatible blood type during a blood transfusion.This is because an incompatible blood type can cause Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source your body to produce antibodies to destroy the donor blood cells. This can cause a potentially life-threatening reaction.

Here is a summary of how doctors match different blood types:

  • People with Type O can donate blood to people of all blood types.
  • People with Type AB can accept blood from all donors.
  • People with Type A can only receive Type A or Type O.
  • People with Type B can receive Type B or Type O.

The American Society of Hematology provides more blood type matching details as follows:

Recipient blood typeCompatible donor blood type
A+A+, A–, O+, O–
A–A–, O–
B+B+, B–, O+, O–
B–B–, O–
AB+matches with all blood types
AB–AB–, A–, B–, O–
O+O+, O–
O–O–

Blood donation is important and can save lives. According to the UK’s National Health Service, you can donate blood if you:

  • are healthy
  • weigh at least 50 kg (about 110.2 lb)
  • are 17–66 years old
  • are over age 70 and have given blood in the last 2 years

Learn about blood transfusions.

Can blood type influence personality?

Some sources claim that a person’s blood group could influence their personality. The accuracy of this hypothesis is unclear, but one 2015 Japanese study Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source did suggest a link.

The study recruited 1,427 Japanese people and had them take a blood typing test and a character inventory. The results of the tests suggested that certain ABO-blood-related genes could affect personality traits.

Further research to determine the exact relationship between blood groups and personality is necessary.

What is a blood type diet?

A naturopathic physician named Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo advocates a “blood type diet.” It is a dietary plan based on the ABO blood group.

D’Adamo claims that the foods you eat can interact with your blood type. He also provides a list of foods he claims are ideal for each blood group.

According to the blood type diet, people with Type A blood should consume vegetarian foods. These include:

  • fruits and vegetables
  • legumes
  • whole grains
  • nuts
  • seeds

There is currently no evidence Trusted Source American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Peer reviewed journal Go to source to validate the proposed health benefits of blood-type diets.

Learn more about the blood type diet and Type O+ blood.

Blood type stats

The following are blood type stats from the American Red Cross:

  • 1 in 3 people has Type A+ blood.
  • Around 37% of the population have Type O+, making it the most common type.
  • Approximately 45% of Caucasian people, 51% of African American people, and 57% of Hispanic people have Type O.
  • Only 7% of the population has Type O– blood. However, O– blood is in the highest demand because it is the most preferred blood type for emergencies.

Other frequently asked questions

Here are other questions people have asked about Type A+ blood.

Is blood type A-positive rare?

Type A+ is one of the most common blood types. Around 1 in 3 people have Type A+ blood.

Is blood type A-positive good?

Type A+ is one of the most common blood types, and its blood transfusion availability is relatively good. If you have Type A+ blood, you can receive A+, A–, O+, and O– blood types during a transfusion.

What is the healthiest blood type?

Studies suggest that Type O may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. However, additional research is necessary to determine if it is the healthiest blood type and what effect blood types have on health.

Summary

Type A+ blood is a blood type with type A antigens and a positive Rh factor. It is one of the most common blood types.

Your blood type may increase your risk of certain conditions. For example, you could be at an increased risk of smallpox if you have Type A.

It is critical to receive a compatible blood type during a blood transfusion. Receiving an incompatible blood type can cause your body to produce antibodies to destroy the donor blood cells.

Consider contacting your doctor or taking a test to find out your blood type.

A-Positive Blood Type: Health Effects, Transfusion, and More (2024)

FAQs

What is the disadvantage of A+ blood group? ›

A, AB, and B blood types are more at risk than type Os. Specifically, people with type A blood are more likely to get stomach cancer. Researchers think this might be because H. pylori infection is more common in people with type A blood. That's a bacteria that's usually found in the stomach.

What is the effect of blood group A positive? ›

Research has suggested that people with certain blood types may be at risk of developing specific diseases or conditions. People with type A blood also have a higher natural propensity for developing other diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.

What is special about A+ blood? ›

Why is A positive blood important? A positive makes up almost a third of requests for blood from hospitals so we need to maintain a regular supply. A positive blood from male donors can also be made into special medicines to treat conditions such as Dry Eye Syndrome.

What blood type has the most health issues? ›

What the research shows:
  • Types A and B. Higher risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
  • Type AB. Higher risk of stroke and inflammation. Those with AB+ blood can accept blood from all donors and are called universal recipients.
  • Type O. Slightly lower risk of thrombosis, blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
Feb 21, 2023

Which blood group has the highest IQ? ›

Numerous researches have been conducted in different population group- ings to look for a possible relation between these two traits. In 2014, a study conducted in Jordan found significant associa- tion between blood group and intelligence with the highest IQ levels reported among individuals with 'AB' blood type [13].

Which blood type lives the longest? ›

Blood type B was observed more frequently in centenarians than in controls (χ2=8.41, P=0.04). This tendency also was true in comparison between centenarians and 118 elderly old individuals of the 7153.

What is the healthiest blood type? ›

Of the eight main blood types, people with Type O have the lowest risk for heart attacks and blood clots in the legs and lungs. This may be because people with other blood types have higher levels of certain clotting factors, which are proteins that cause blood to coagulate (solidify).

What foods should a+ blood type avoid? ›

Blood type and diet

The book suggests the following for diet for people with type A+ blood: Avoid meat. Avoid wheat, corn, kidney beans and dairy. Eat seafood, turkey and tofu.

Which blood group is most resistant to diseases? ›

Carriers of blood group 0 (I) are generally more resistant to diseases, with the exception of H. pylori-associated gastrointestinal diseases. Carriers of «antigenic» blood groups A (II), B (III), AB (IV) are more susceptible to development of infectious, cardiovascular and cancer diseases.

What is the personality of a+ person? ›

You usually keep your feelings and thoughts to yourself. You open up to people only those who trust a lot. A+ Blood Group Personality Traits: Pros: Excellent leader, Work in unity, Trustworthy, Intelligent/ Cons: Temperamental, and Targets of criticism.

What blood type do mosquitoes like? ›

Type O: The findings came to the conclusion that humans with Type O blood have mosquitoes land on them the most, making Type O blood more appetizing than the others. Type B: Type B placed second in popularity. Type A: Type A Blood Type apparently tastes the worst to mosquitoes.

What is the personality of a Type A blood type? ›

Blood Type A: People with type A blood are often perceived as clever, passionate, sensitive, and cooperative. They typically have a patient temperament and are loyal and peace-loving. However, they might also be overly sensitive and cautious, adhering strictly to societal norms and etiquette.

What diseases are A+ blood types prone to? ›

Diseases that were most common in people with type A blood were:
  • spondyloarthropathy.
  • vasculitis.
  • undifferentiated connective tissue disease.
  • Behçet's disease.
  • rheumatoid arthritis.
Jun 10, 2021

What blood type is harder to get COVID? ›

Resource Links. Bloomberg Several studies have now shown that people with blood type O are less susceptible to contracting Covid, and those with blood type A are more likely to get it. In the early days of the pandemic, those findings were hotly debated.

Which blood type is prone to anxiety? ›

Some studies reported that the AB blood type was correlated with higher levels of anxiety and cognitive impairment. Another study found that individuals with bipolar or unipolar affective disorder had a higher prevalence of type O blood and a significantly lower rate of type A blood.

What foods should A+ blood type avoid? ›

Blood type and diet

The book suggests the following for diet for people with type A+ blood: Avoid meat. Avoid wheat, corn, kidney beans and dairy. Eat seafood, turkey and tofu.

Which is the weakest blood group? ›

It is not accurate to say that a specific blood type has the weakest immune system. The immune system's strength and efficiency depend on various factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and overall health. Blood type does not directly determine the strength of one's immune system.

What is the personality of a person with A+ blood type? ›

People with blood type A are found to be more emotionally intelligent. You are more likely to take into consideration the societal rules and maintain etiquette. You are least likely to indulge in haphazard actions. Though you can at times be stubborn, obsessive, overly sensitive, pessimistic, and easily stressed out.

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