Influence of ABO and Rhesus Blood Group on Blood Pressure and Hypertension in Bayelsa State

Aim: This present study was carried out to ascertain the influences of ABO and Rhesus blood groups on blood pressure and hypertension among normotensive and hypertensive patients attending cardiologic clinic in Niger delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State Nigeria.

Study Design: Cross sectional study design was adopted.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Cardiology Clinics in the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobiri, Bayelsa State, from February 2020 to November 2020.

Methodology: This study was carried out on 800 participants, consisting of 400 each of apparently healthy Normotensive and Hypertensive individuals. The blood pressures were determined using palpatory and auscultatory (stethoscope and sphygmomanometer) method in both control and hypertensive groups and their ABO and Rhesus blood groups were determined using the slide haemagglutination technique. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS statistical software to perform Chi-square test.

Results: The frequency of the various blood groups was A-20.0%, B-16.8%, AB-13.3% and O-50.0% for the normotensive individuals and A-12.0%, B-15.5%, AB-17.8% and O-54.8%, for the hypertensive individuals. The frequency of ABO blood groups in both the normotensive and hypertensive group was therefore found to be O>B>A>AB. The prevalence of blood group O and rhesus O-ve was found to be associated with elevated blood pressure and the development of hypertension while prevalence of blood group AB was found to be lowest in the same group, but was not significant statistically (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure of different blood groups.

Conclusion: Blood group O was found to be the most common blood group in our study. Blood group O- was also found to be more prone to hypertension. However, there was no statistically significant association between ABO blood groups and Hypertension.