CLINICAL NEWS
Bled Dry?
Loosening the limits on blood-donation frequency could allow more blood to be collected without
adverse effects on donors’ health, according to a study published in the Lancet.
Researchers randomly assigned 45,042 U.K. whole-blood donors to either
a standard interval (12 weeks for men and 16 weeks for women) or shorter-
frequency intervals (10 or 8 weeks for men and 14 or 12 weeks for women)
and followed them for two years.
For both men and women, more frequent blood donation led to higher
mean amounts of blood collected per donor, compared with standard
intervals.
12 weeks vs. 8 weeks
in men:
33
%
increase
16 weeks vs. 12 weeks
in women:
24
%
increase
There were no significant differences in donors’ quality of life, physical
activity, or cognitive function