MAYO CLINIC BLOOD DONATION FREQUENCY CHANGES Q&A Below are answers to questions you may have regarding the upcoming change to the frequency between blood donations. Why is the donation frequency Is it unsafe to donate as frequently changing from eight to 12 weeks? as I have been donating? n Frequent blood donations can lead n National guidelines currently state that to a decrease in an individual’s iron it is safe to donate every eight weeks. store. Your body needs iron to make Mayo Clinic is decreasing the donation hemoglobin, which carries oxygen. frequency as a precaution to ensure If blood has enough oxygen, your the health and well being of our organs work effectively and your body donors. has energy. n If iron is not allowed to build up, your n Recently, we measured ferritin (a immunity is lower, increasing your marker of iron store status) on a sub- likelihood of becoming ill. section of our donors and found that increasing the time between donations Is the American Red Cross making will better allow the body to maintain this change? Why is Mayo Clinic? normal iron stores. n The AABB and FDA are concerned Can I come back every eight weeks about iron depletion in blood donors if I eat iron-rich food? and have asked blood donor centers n to create a strategy to monitor, limit Along with results of other national or prevent iron deficiency in blood studies, we found that eating iron-rich donors. foods alone is typically not enough to n No, the American Red Cross is not correct the problem. instituting this donation frequency change at this time. Does this change apply to platelet n and plasma donors? Mayo Clinic may be the first in the n United States to implement this change, No, the frequency change planned for but not the first in the world. whole blood donations does not apply because platelets and plasma do not contain red blood cells.

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