Effectiveness of iron supplementation and education in preventing iron deficiency anemia among frequent blood donors with low hemoglobin levels
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Abstract
Frequent blood donation can lead to iron deficiency anemia (IDA), especially in donors with low baseline hemoglobin (Hb) levels. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of iron supplementation (ferrous fumarate) and donor education in preventing and managing IDA in frequent blood donors with low Hb levels, with particular attention to age and gender-specific responses. Frequent blood donors (more than two donations in the same 12-month period) with Hb levels below 13.00 g/dL (male) or 12.50 g/dL (female) received ferrous fumarate supplementation (200 mg twice daily) along with education on iron deficiency and compliance. Hb levels were measured pre-and post-intervention at 2-3 weeks. The study included 47 donors (76.60% female, 23.40% male), aged 20-64 years. After excluding donors with ferritin >100 ng/mL to focus on iron-deficient donors, 31 donors were analyzed. The median pre-intervention Hb was 12.10 g/dL, which increased to 13.20 g/dL post-intervention. In iron-deficient donors, younger donors (20-39 years, n=18) showed significantly higher median Hb increment compared to older donors (40-65 years, n=13) (2.00 vs 1.20 g/dL, p-value = 0.02). While not reaching statistical significance, younger donors demonstrated a trend toward higher overall response rates (94.44% vs 84.62%, p-value = 0.36) and significant response rates (83.33% vs 53.85%, p-value = 0.07). Female donors (n=26) showed higher response rates (92.31% vs 80.00% in males, p-value = 0.58) and greater Hb improvement (1.50 vs 1.20 g/dL, p-value = 0.81). Baseline ferritin levels were comparable between age groups (28.50 vs 39.00 ng/mL, p-value = 0.81), suggesting age-related differences in treatment response were independent of initial iron status. Iron supplementation with ferrous fumarate, combined with donor education, effectively improved Hb levels in frequent blood donors with iron deficiency, with younger donors showing particularly favorable responses. These findings suggest the benefit of age-specific approaches in managing iron deficiency among blood donors.
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