AABB23: Change in Hemoglobin May Be Indicator of Iron Deficiency in Repeat Blood Donors

For repeat blood donors, a measurement of hemoglobin change could serve as a marker for donation-associated iron deficiency. New findings indicate that there is a linear association between donors’ hemoglobin change and log ferritin levels for ferritin levels less than 30 ng/mL, but no such association for higher ferritin levels. The research was presented during a Monday morning Oral Abstract Session by W. Alton Russell, PhD, assistant professor at McGill School of Population and Global Health in Montreal.

Russell and his colleagues analyzed from 29,469 male and 35,292 female repeat blood donors. All participants in the study made at least two donations between January 2012 and September 2022. The researchers analyzed the association between donors’ log ferritin levels and the fingerstick hemoglobin change from baseline.

Among male donors, 37% had ferritin levels below 30 ng/mL. For female donors, this number was 52%. “We found a linear association between hemoglobin change and log ferritin levels for ferritin levels below 30 ng/mL. But for ferritin levels above 30 ng/mL, we found no change in hemoglobin as a function of log ferritin levels,” Russell said.

The researchers determined that the changepoint was 30.2 ng/mL for male donors and 31.4 ng/mL for female donors. However, Russell noted that the higher changepoint seen in female donors could be because women with lower hemoglobin levels would be more likely to defer blood donation.

Russell said this research demonstrates that assessing hemoglobin change could help identify repeat donors who may be at risk for iron deficiency. This may offer benefits over current deferral practices based on an estimate of hemoglobin from a single point in time to determine donor eligibility.