Does One Blood Type Make You More Likely to Live to 100?
There isn’t convincing evidence that any particular blood type makes a person more likely to reach 100.
One frequently cited Japanese study of 269 centenarians found that blood type B occurred somewhat more often among the centenarians than in a comparison group. The researchers suggested a possible association with exceptional longevity, but they also said the mechanism was unknown. PubMed+1
However, larger and subsequent research has not confirmed this finding. A study involving 2,201 Chinese centenarians and 2,330 controls found no statistically significant association between ABO blood type and longevity. Its meta-analysis likewise found no significant relationship for A, B, O, or AB blood groups. PubMed+1
A separate study of centenarians in Western Sicily also found no significant association between ABO blood groups and longevity. PubMed
Bottom line
Your blood type does not appear to be a reliable predictor of whether you’ll live to 100. Genetics beyond ABO blood type, lifestyle, medical care, socioeconomic circumstances, environment, and simply chance all contribute to longevity.
So if you’ve seen a headline claiming “people with blood type B are more likely to live to 100,” it’s based on an interesting but relatively small study—not an established medical fact. PubMed+1
