The benefits of donating blood

Following on from our recent article on Forever Chemicals (PFAS), I thought a deep dive into the benefits of blood donation might be a timely addition to the conversation. When considering blood donation, some of the positive health outcomes include:

Reducing serum PFAS concentration

Phlebotomy (giving blood) reduces the body’s burden of PFAS [1], with plasma donation being more effective at reducing PFAS concentration than whole blood donation [2].

As mentioned in our recent article, PFAS are highly carcinogenic and have adverse effects on fertility, metabolic health, liver, thyroid and immune function. Less is more.

Improving cardiovascular health

Regular blood donation can reduce oxidative damage to our blood vessels by reducing iron levels in our circulating blood. Oxidative damage is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease [3].

It's important to note that those with low or borderline low-iron levels at baseline need to weigh this benefit against the risk of iron-deficient anaemia if blood donation reduces your iron levels too much!

Reducing cancer risk 

Some studies suggest that this reduction in oxidative stress also reduces the risk of certain cancers.

Oxidative stress causes injury to cells, induces gene mutations and is involved in carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer cells) by influencing intracellular signal transduction and transcription factors directly and indirectly via antioxidants [4].

Caloric burn 

Giving blood is one of the few times you can sit down, put your feet up, lean back and still burn calories. Studies show blood donation burns 500-650 calories [5]. This probably offsets the fact you should avoid vigorous, high-intensity workouts for 24-48 hours post-donation.

Free blood health screen 

Donated blood goes through a screen for transmissible blood-borne infections to protect recipients and the donor. You’ll be notified if there are any abnormal results.

This routine testing in Australia has reduced the risk of receiving an infection through blood donation to less than 1 in 1 million [6]. 

What are the risks?

At Compound, we are all about informed consent. It's important not to gloss over the risks of blood donation. Like all medical procedures, there are some risks to consider.

You can find a full list of potential side effects here — but a few to consider include:

• You’ll experience some discomfort initially due to the needle. It's over quickly, but it's an unavoidable reality. 

• You may experience some bruising in the donation sight. Minor bruising is common (1 in 10-100) but large bruising is uncommon.

• You may also feel faint during or immediately after donation. You can reduce the risk of this by ensuring you are well hydrated first, and get up slowly from the chair! 

• You can rarely also get a painful arm or some painful swelling, but this settles down with time. 

• Localised allergic reactions or delayed bleeding are also very rare. 

I’m concerned I have low iron levels, how do I decide if I should donate?

A recent study out of the Netherlands looks at iron levels pre and post-donation in first-time and regular blood donors (after every fifth donation).

The recommendations from that study have been adopted as national guidance on blood donation and can help you decide if you should defer your donation due to low iron levels using ferritin levels to assess suitability [7].

The WHO’s threshold for deferral is a Ferritin <15ng/mL.

• Ferritin <15 ng/mL: the donor is deferred from donation for 12 months.

• 15 ≤ Ferritin ≤30 ng/mL: the donor is deferred from donation for 6 months.

• Ferritin >30 ng/mL: no deferral, the donor can return for the next donation after the regular minimum donation interval (56 days for men, 122 days for women).

On balance, these are relatively minor risks and there are also proportionate upside benefits to your health if you’re donating blood. However, it's also important to remember that your donation will save lives.

In fact, one donation could save up to three lives. That in and of itself is reason enough to roll up your sleeve and donate.

At Compound we are big on community, and blood donation is a unique way to contribute to our healthcare system, and improve the health of others in our community so we are all about it. 

Who receives blood donations?

• 34% of blood goes to patients with cancer or blood diseases

• 19% goes to treating anaemia (low blood counts)

• 18% goes to patients who need to undergo heart, organ or other non-orthopedic surgeries

• 13% goes to stomach, kidney and other diseases

• 10% to patients with fractures or needing joint replacements 

• 4% help pregnant women, new mothers and young children

• 2% goes to motor vehicle or other trauma patients [8]

Do you donate blood regularly? Do you know you can organise to do it with friends and there is likely a donation centre that is close to your home or work? Find out more on Lifeblood’s website.