A Turkish research group investigated the association between erectile dysfunction and ABO blood types and found that A, B, and AB blood types were associated with a higher risk for erectile dysfunction compared to an O blood type.
Erectile function is sustained by a healthy vascular system. Research has shown that coronary artery disease is a known risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED, the lack of erection or sustained erection), and often ED is the first symptom of a systemic vascular disease. There is a well-known relationship between ABO blood types and vascular diseases, but the association between blood types and ED has not been investigated yet.
A study, published in The Archives of Italian Urology and Andrology, investigated the association between ABO blood types and ED. 350 patients were included in the study who were not treated for ED before. The International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) form was used to determine ED, with higher scores meaning better function. The ED and the non-ED participants did not differ in age and demographic characteristics, the mean age was 62.34 years. Mean IIEF-5 scores were highest in patients with an O blood type, lower in A and B types and lowest in participants who had an AB blood type. Furthermore, results have shown that ED risk was 3.9 times increased for blood type A, 3.5 times increased for B and 4.7 times higher for those in the AB blood group compared to the O blood group.
In conclusion, this study found an association between blood groups and the risk of erectile dysfunction for the first time. As ED is often the first symptom of systemic vascular problems, these findings may be used in the prevention of vascular diseases.
Written By: Dr. Fanni R. Eros
