Association of ABO/Rh Blood Group with Hypertension in Pre and Postmenopausal Libyan women

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Hypertension is a prevalent and significant public health issue worldwide, affecting a substantial portion of the population. While various risk factors have been implicated in the development of hypertension, including genetics, lifestyle, and hormonal changes, the role of ABO/Rh blood groups in hypertension remains underexplored, particularly in different stages of Libyan women’s life. This research study aimed to investigate the potential association between ABO/Rh blood groups and hypertension in both pre- and post-menopausal Libyan women. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional study was conducted over a four-month period on a diverse cohort of women aged 35 to 75 years. It involved a total of 200 hypertensive women divided into pre- (n=100) and post-menopausal (n=100) groups. It took place at Tripoli University Hospital, Tajoura Heart Centre and Total Care Clinic. Data were collected through structured interviews, clinical examinations, and blood sample analyses. Blood pressure (BP) measurements and blood group typing were performed using standard medical procedures. A statistical analysis was performed using SPSS program version 26.0. RESULTS: The distribution of ABO blood groups shows that blood group O is the most prevalent blood group among samples (58% in the pre-menopausal and 41% in post-menopausal hypertensives), whereas blood group AB is the least prevalent (only 9% in the pre-menopausal and 7% in post-menopausal hypertensives). One hundred and eighty-one (90.5%) were Rh +ve. Analysis of data revealed significant differences in age distribution as well as in the percentages of Rh +ve and Rh -ve blood groups among pre- and post-menopausal women (p<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean values of BP indices between ABO/Rh blood groups (p>0.05).CONCLUSION: This study showed that ABO/Rh blood group system does not significantly affect BP indices among the pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women. Findings of present study also illustrated that age could potentially influence the connection between blood groups and hypertension. Additionally, among ABO/Rh blood groups, the most observed type was 'O.' However, further investigation is necessary to validate these initial results and better understand the underlying mechanisms behind this relationship