The claim is based on a real but limited line of research—and the headline makes the evidence sound much stronger than it is.
Does one blood type really increase your chance of reaching 100?
One Japanese study published in 2004 compared 269 people aged 100+ with more than 7,000 controls. It found that blood type B was somewhat more common among the centenarians: 29.4% versus 21.9% in the control group. The researchers suggested that B might be associated with exceptional longevity. PubMed+1
But that does not mean people with type B are destined to live longer.
A much larger study of 2,201 Chinese centenarians found no statistically significant association between ABO blood type and longevity. Its analysis found no significant differences for A, B, O, or AB compared with controls. PubMed+1
A 2026 review likewise concluded that although ABO blood groups are associated with several health conditions, evidence connecting them specifically with exceptional longevity is inconsistent, and blood type is unlikely to be an independent predictor of aging. PubMed
So which blood type “wins”?
None has been proven to be a longevity blood type.
Type B is the one behind some of the viral headlines because of the older Japanese study, but subsequent research hasn’t established that having type B substantially increases your probability of reaching 100.
Blood type may influence susceptibility to certain cardiovascular, clotting, infectious, and other diseases, but your blood type is only one small biological factor among many. Lifestyle, genetics, medical conditions, socioeconomic factors, environment, and access to healthcare all have much greater practical importance for longevity.
Bottom line
Having blood type B may have been associated with exceptional longevity in one study, but current evidence does not show that any ABO blood type reliably predicts who will live to 100.
So if you’re type A, O, or AB, don’t worry—and if you’re type B, don’t assume you’ve discovered a secret to living to 100.
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