2015 study indicates lower life-expectancy for blood type B people

A study of 28,129 subjects, 20,897 female and 7,231 males, was published last year from outpatients and blood donors at the Department of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine of Mantua. In all individuals evaluated, ABO blood type, age and gender were recorded. Age at the time of the observation was discretized into 11 age groups (0 to 10): age between 0–9, 10–19, 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, 80–89, 90–99, and >99 years.

“In conclusion, our retrospective survey showed that the percentage of people with group B blood declined with age. Group AB also had a negative correlation with age, although this was less pronounced: indeed, its effects were conditioned by gender, being significant only in females. The proportion of subjects with group A blood increased with age, but again this effect was significant only in females. Thus a conditioning effect of gender was evident for both A and AB groups. We have no explanations for these observations, although an association between B blood type and some aging-associated degenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, has been found.”

While other factors than blood type can of course play a role, it is noticeable that the fact that also blood type AB experiences a significant drop of presence with advanced age, the indication strongly suggests the B allele being a negative indicator for longevity.

Source: Blood group distribution and life-expectancy: a single-centre experience

“ABO blood type and longevity” by Brecher as well points out a lower chance for reaching a higher age for people with blood type B:

“In our patient population, the percentage of patients with group B blood declines with age. The survival curve in group B was worse than that in groups A, O, and AB. These findings suggest that in our patient population, blood group B is not a marker for longevity but may be a marker for earlier death.”

But here is the opposite:

In 2004, frequencies of ABO blood group in 269 centenarians (persons over 100 years) living in Tokyo indicated a higher percentage of blood type B (29.4) than in the regionally matched controls (21.9). In the same study, a significant drop of people with blood type A can be seen, 34.2% amongst the centenarians and 38.6% in the controls with blood type AB also seeing a small decrease with age.

As often stated, these data should serve not as alarms or indicators as to when you might pass, but signs that there are ways to increase your health by looking at warning signs. There could easily be factors indicating Japan and other countries being more B friendly in terms of life styles. So rather looking at what is not beneficial to you, search for what is and then look at what types of illnesses you might be more predisposed to and make according changes in your lifestyle to prevent a drop in health and potentially life expectancy.