As reported cases of Alzheimer’s disease continue to rise in the United States, researchers seek new avenues in which to study the disease and its effects. Researchers have been particularly interested in blood testing as certain blood types appear to be more predisposed to the disease. According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, research suggests that people with the AB blood type might be more at risk for developing the disease.

Those with blood type AB include only about 4 percent of the population. Over the three year study, people with this specific blood type were shown to be twice as likely to show some sort of memory impairment over those with blood type O (the most common blood type).

The study centered around 30,000 people aged 45 and older who were initially given a series of memory and thinking tests and then tested again in three years. Out of that group, 495 participants scored low enough to qualify as having some sort of memory impairing condition. Researchers then made adjustments for differences in the participants’age, race, sex and geographical region. Those that had the AB blood type were 82 percent more likely to have impaired thinking over those with type O blood.

As with any testing, researchers warn that more studies need to be done to determine ifblood type is a risk factor for getting Alzheimer’s disease. “People who have AB blood type should not be overly worried about these findings since the association we saw was relatively small and requires other research for confirmation,” said the study’s senior researcher, Dr. Mary Cushman, a professor of hematology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

Regardless of blood type, clinicians continue to point to increasing overall healthy habits to help lower the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. Healthy lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and maintaing a healthy diet all have been proven to lower the risk of getting dementia related diseases. To learn more about this study, please click here.