Effects of blood donation on the physical fitness and hemorheology of healthy elderly donors.
BACKGROUND
International regulations for blood donation recommend a maximum donor age of 65 years. As the average population age is steadily rising in western societies, a considerable group of volunteers is lost to the donor base.


METHODS
In a prospective study we investigated the effect of a 450-ml whole blood donation on the physical fitness and hemorheology of regular elderly allogeneic blood donors (n = 24, aged 63-69 years, mean = 65). Results were compared with a younger group of regular donors (n = 23, aged 55-62 years, mean = 58) and a group of elderly subjects (n = 7, aged 63-66 years, mean = 65), who did not donate blood for this study. Assessing the physical fitness, we determined the submaximal physical working capacity at a heart rate of 130 min-1 (PWC 130) and the maximal working capacity (MWC) by treadmill exercise testing the day before (day -1) and after donation (d +1). The impact of the blood loss on hemorheology was examined by analyzing the plasma viscosity before, during and after donation.


RESULTS
We found an increase of mean values of PWC 130 and MWC on day +1 in all study groups, but increases were only significant in the younger group (PWC 130 p = 0.03; MWC p = 0.04). Values did not differ significantly between the three groups. Plasma viscosity decreased significantly directly after donation in both groups of donors.


CONCLUSIONS
A single blood donation did not alter the physical fitness of otherwise healthy elderly people. The older blood donors and the younger controls showed a similar compensation mechanism to blood loss. We found no general reason for disqualifying blood donors aged 65 years from donating.
Janetzko
K
K
Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Lübeck School of Medicine, Germany.
Böcher
R
R
Klotz
K F
KF
Kirchner
H
H
Klüter
H
H
D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D001782:Blood Donors; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation