American Red Cross

MADISON, Wis. (August 14, 2007) - When the mercury in the thermometer outside rises, the number of eligible blood donors goes down, according to a recent study in the May 2007 issue of Transfusion. The study shows that deferrals due to low hemoglobin levels increase during the summer months, which means that as many as 40,000 to 50,000 people that come in to donate during the summer are unable to donate blood. The need for blood, however, remains the same and can even increase during the summer. Since regular donors may not be able to donate during the summer due to low hemoglobin levels, becoming a blood donor or donating every 56 days if you are already a donor is important to helping the Red Cross maintain a stable blood supply

Hemoglobin is a protein carried by the red blood cells that contains iron. During the summer, hemoglobin levels in healthy adults are approximately three-percent lower than hemoglobin levels in the winter. Changes in activity and diet, as well as changes in the fluid levels of the blood itself, are possible reasons for this difference. The study also shows that areas with higher variations in temperature between the different seasons, like the Midwest, tend to have higher hemoglobin related deferral rates than areas with lower temperature variability.

The Red Cross checks a person’s hemoglobin before every blood donation. A blood donor must have a hemoglobin level of at least 12.5 to donate blood. If donors’ hemoglobin levels are too low, they may not be able to donate blood that day. This does not necessarily mean a person is unhealthy or can’t donate again soon, it only means the donor doesn’t have a high enough hemoglobin level to share red cells that day. About 60 percent of deferrals every year are due to low hemoglobin levels. There are ways to increase iron levels in blood to help ensure adequate hemoglobin levels. By changing a person’s diet to include more high-iron foods and avoiding substances that reduce iron absorption, people can improve their iron and hemoglobin levels.

In addition to higher than normal deferral rates, there are several other reasons blood donations decrease during the summer months. Eligible donors may go on vacation and schools are not in session to host blood drives. And since blood products have a limited shelf life - only five days for platelets and 42 days for red cells - stockpiling blood throughout the year to make up for the summer shortage is not an option.

Make an appointment to donate this summer to help reduce the impact on the nation’s blood supply from the increased deferral rates due to low iron levels. For more information on how to boost your iron levels before donating, go to givebloodgivelife.org.

How to Donate Blood

Simply call 1.800.GIVE.LIFE (1.800. 448.3543) or visit givebloodgivelife.org to make an appointment or more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Donors must be at least 17 years old, <<16 years old with a signed consent form in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri,>> and must weigh at least 110 pounds.

About the Red Cross

The Mid-America Division of the American Red Cross Blood Services supplies blood products to
nearly 250 hospitals in 10 states and across the nation. The Red Cross relies on the generosity of more than 370,000 volunteer blood donors, nearly 8,300 blood drive coordinators and more than 2,100 employees to collect the blood that helps save thousands of lives each year. The Mid-America Division is one of nine Red Cross Blood Services Divisions located throughout the United States. Together, these divisions collect nearly half the nation’s blood supply.