ABO/Rh Blood Groups and Disease Associations in Northern Morocco: A Retrospective Study of 3000 Hospital Patients

Introduction: ABO and Rh blood group rates differ between population groups and might be related to susceptibility to several diseases.This study aimed to investigate the distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups in a population from northern Morocco, as well as to assess their potential association with diverse pathological profiles, taking into consideration sex-related differences.Patients and methods: This is a retrospective study involving 3000 subjects aged 0 to 85 years.ABO/Rh blood groups were determined using the agglutination method on opal plates.Medical records were used to establish the association between blood group and the major pathologies observed.Categorical variables were compared using the Pearson Chi-square test (p < 0.05 considered significant).Results: Group O was predominant (N=1178, 39.27%), followed by groups A (N=1161, 38.70%), B (N=479, 15.97%), and AB (N=182, 6.07%).The majority of subjects were Rh+ (N=2795, 93.17%).The distribution of blood groups differed significantly between sexes (χ² = 25.71,p < 0.001).Blood type O was associated with iron deficiency anemia and certain coagulation disorders, group A with cardiovascular and thromboembolic diseases, group B with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and group AB with metabolic syndrome (all p ≤ 0.002).Men had more cardiovascular and musculoskeletal pathologies, while women were more affected by iron deficiency anemia and dyslipidemia.Conclusion: Blood types could be indicators of susceptibility to certain diseases.Taking them into account could contribute to a targeted preventive strategy.