Iron Balance in Regular Blood Donors

SUMMARY: BACKGROUND: Numerous reports have shown that iron stores decrease in blood donors after donation. As we need healthy donors, it is essential to test hemoglobin and ferritin levels for preventing reduced of iron stores in donors. METHODS: This study was conducted on 235 healthy men. The donors were divided into three groups: group I) control group with no donation; group II)  case group 1 with two donations within 1 year; group III)  case group 2 with three donations within 1 year. RESULTS: The mean level of hemoglobin was 15.9 and 14.7 g/dl in the control group and in the case group, respectively (p < 0.0000). The mean level of serum ferritin in group I, II and III, was 108, 56 and 26 μg/l, respectively (p < 0.0000). When studying various stages of iron deficiency in donors, it could be shown that 58% of group III donors but only 1% of control group donors had a negative iron balance. Moreover, iron deficiency anemia was observed in 20% of group III donors. CONCLUSION: Just measuring the hemoglobin level is not sufficient for selecting donors. In addition, testing of the ferritin level and iron supplementation are recommended in regular donors with more than one donation per year.