Aims
This study therefore evaluated the impact of regular blood donation, an effective method of reducing iron load, on β-islet cell functions and level of glycemic control among regular whole blood donors. Settings and design: This is a cross-sectional, analytical study. Subjects and
Conclusions
Regular blood donation may protect the body from the toxic effects of excessive iron store, which includes improved insulin sensitivity and glycemic control.
Methods
Forty-two consenting regular blood donors who had donated whole blood at least twice and not more than thrice in the last 1 year were selected as cases, while 42 age-matched individuals who have never donated blood previously were selected as controls. Samples were obtained and analyzed for fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin, serum ferritin, transferrin receptor, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and serum iron, while Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA) of insulin resistance (IR) and beta sensitivity, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-β-cell function (HOMA-β%) were calculated for both groups. Statistical analysis used: Statistical analysis was done using Microsoft Excel package and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
Results
Iron studies among regular blood donors and nondonors revealed lower serum iron (37.2 ± 7.3 vs. 41.1 ± 7.9 μmol/L, P = 0.180) and lower serum ferritin levels (30.2 ± 26.1 vs. 42.9 ± 38.5 ng/mL, P = 0.117), which were not statistically significant, while there were higher serum transferrin receptor (155.5 ± 22.6 vs. 112.8 ± 43.4 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and higher serum TIBC (42.3 ± 6.4 vs. 37.8 ± 7.4 μmol/L, P < 0.05), among cases than controls. The mean HOMA-IR and HOMA-β% were also significantly better among donors than nondonors. Conclusions: Regular blood donation may protect the body from the toxic effects of excessive iron store, which includes improved insulin sensitivity and glycemic control.