Understanding iron depletion and overload in blood donors

Normal iron stores in healthy men are about 1000 mg, whereas in healthy females only about 300 mg. A whole‐blood donation depletes the donor of approximately 225–250 mg of iron. For females, this means that often her iron stores are completely depleted after only one donation. Dietary absorption of iron can be up to 3·5–4 mg/day when iron stores are low, less when iron stores are higher. It can take 5 months or more for haemoglobin (Hb) to return to 80% of the drop in Hb following a whole‐blood donation, and longer to recoup iron stores; hence, to donate frequently, many donors may require iron supplements. Low iron stores are usually related to diet and blood donation, but can also be a sign of underlying pathology. Hb is routinely measured to determine donor eligibility. However, because iron stores will be largely depleted before Hb concentrations drop, it is a late‐stage indicator of iron deficiency. Serum ferritin is correlated with total body iron, thus is a convenient marker of iron status. Recent studies have shown that iron depletion is common among blood donors. Some people, especially young females, have low iron stores on their first donation. However, low iron stores are correlated with higher frequency of blood donation in both females and males. In countries largely reliant on regular donors, a high proportion of donors may be iron deficient. Low iron stores are sometimes associated with fatigue, pica and restless leg syndrome. There may be other hea...
Source: ISBT Science Series - Category: Hematology Authors: Tags: Invited Review Source Type: research