MADRID, February 19 (EUROPE PRESS) –
There is a risk of iron deficiency and anemia in young women who are blood donors According to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, this research suggests that this research highlights the susceptibility of adolescent blood donors to associated iron deficiency.
Based on these findings, the authors propose various measures that could help this vulnerable population. The study published in the journal "Transfusion" shows that more donors are needed for adolescents.
Approximately 6.8 million people live in the US every year According to the American Red Cross, which coordinates blood donations across the country, they are blood donors. Teenagers are increasingly contributing to the donor group because of blood donation campaigns in secondary schools. In 201
Although donating blood is largely a safe procedure, teens have an increased risk of acute and unwanted donor-related problems, such as fainting during the donation, explains one of the study's first investigators, Eshan Patel, a specialist in biostatistics in of the Pathology Department of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, along with Aaron Tobian, Professor of Pathology, Medicine, Oncology and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Director of Transfusion Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
In addition, donating blood can increase the risk of iron deficiency, as every 200 to 250 milligrams of iron is removed from the donor during each blood donation. Since adolescents typically have lower blood volumes, if they donate the same amount of blood, they have a relatively larger proportional loss of hemoglobin, the iron-containing protein in blood cells that carry oxygen, and thus more iron during donation, the adult.
Researchers remember that women are at an even greater risk of iron deficiency every month than men due to blood loss during menstruation.
Numerous studies have shown that younger age, female gender, and increased blood donation frequency with lower serum ferritin levels (a replacement for total body iron concentration) in blood donor populations. However, no national-level representative data study has compared the prevalence of iron deficiency and associated anemia between populations of blood donors and those that are not, especially adolescents.
To do this, researchers analyzed national data from a long-term study that was designed to assess the nutritional and health status of adults and children in the United States. This study was conducted between 1999 and 2010 and included blood collections and questions about the history of blood donation in the last 12 months. The researchers found 9,647 women aged 16-49 who had provided samples and information on the history of the blood donor. There were 2,419 adolescents aged 16 to 19 years in this group.
According to this information, about 10.7 percent of adolescents had donated blood in the past 12 months, compared to 6.4 percent of adults. Mean serum ferritin levels were significantly lower in blood donors than in non-donors in both adolescent populations (21.2 vs. 31.4 nanograms per milliliter) and in adults (26.2 vs. 43 nanograms per milliliter.)
The prevalence of Iron deficiency anemia was 9.5 percent among adolescent donors and 7.9 percent among adult donors, both low but still significantly higher than those of non-donors in both age groups – 6.1 percent – and 22.6 percent The juvenile donor and 18.3 percent of adult donors lack iron stores.
Patel and Tobian warn that there are already some federal guidelines and regulations to protect donors in general against iron deficiency due to this altruistic act, such as the hemoglobin test, a minimum weight for the donation and an eight-week donation interval Repeat the whole blood donation However, if oral iron supplementation is used, it will increase the time interval between donations or donate other blood products such as platelets or plasma instead of whole blood to relieve iron loss.
"We do not say that eligible donors should not donate, there are already problems with insufficient blood supply, but new regulations or accreditation standards could help to make blood donation even safer for young donors." pointed to Tobian.