Blood Donated by Patients with Hemochromatosis Is Safe

Blood donated by patients with hemochromatosis, a disorder in which iron accumulates in organs and body tissues, does not pose a greater risk to blood safety than other donors, according to a study funded by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The study was published in the September 26, 2001, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Hemochromatosis patients are treated with periodic phlebotomies to remove excess iron from their body. Because these patients benefit medically and financially by giving blood, there has been concern that they might donate despite having infectious disease risk factors and that their blood might be less safe. As a result, FDA regulations have not promoted blood donation from hemochromatosis patients. While they would appear to represent a small pool of potential donors, people with hemochromatosis would donate regularly since periodic donation is required to control their condition. Without an FDA variance, however, their donations must be labeled and the source indicated. In the past, labeled blood has not been well accepted.

Hemochromatosis patients in this study had no more risk of transmitting viral infections than did other donors,” said Dr. Claude Lenfant, NHLBI director. "If people with hemochromatosis qualify as donors then that could potentially have a significant impact on the national blood supply.”



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