Certain Blood Types Carry Heart Attack Risk In Smoky Conditions

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The smoke and dirt in the air can bother anyone, but new research shows poor air quality could cause even more serious health problems, depending on your blood type.

Three blood types—A, B and AB—carry a greater chance of having a heart attack with bad air quality, according to a new study.

"For individuals, especially those with coronary artery disease, there's a higher risk," said Dr. Benjamin Horne.

His research shows it could cause a heart attack in people who already have artery disease.

"What we think happens is the particulates get into the bloodstream and cause inflammation," he said.

The study shows people with blood types A, B and AB carry a variant gene that puts the more at risk when there's extremely poor air quality.

Wood smoke causes 60 percent of the wintertime particulate pollution in the Sacramento region. Last season, there were 34 days where burning was restricted to cut down on pollution when it was colder and no rain or wind.