Old Hypertension Therapy Lowering blood pressure with regular bloodletting?

Regular blood donation is good for your health

Donate blood is a life-saving act. Not only for the recipient, but also for the donor. People who suffer from high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure by regularly donating blood. In naturopathy, the release of pressure has been known since ancient times. The procedure is also called "bloodletting".

Lack of blood donors

Time and again organizations like the German Red Cross (DRK) are urging donations. In particular, a shortage of young blood donors is to be lamented in some regions. According to the German Red Cross, 33 percent of Germans could donate blood, but only three percent do. The charitable act not only helps recipients but also donors. Because regular blood donation fixes hypertension.

In order to find out whether hypotension is present, the blood pressure has to be measured repeatedly over a longer period of time. (Image: torsak / fotolia.com)

Naturally lower hypertension

Hypertension is a folk disease that can cause many serious sequelae such as heart attack or heart failure.

In Germany alone, 20 to 30 million people are affected and around one billion suffer from high blood pressure worldwide.

Many patients resort to medicines to lower blood pressure. However, hypertension can often be reduced without medication.

In addition to weight reduction, regular exercise and avoidance of smoke, a balanced, healthy diet can contribute to this.

It also makes sense to donate blood regularly, because this basically works no different than a bloodletting.

Regular blood donation is for health

That regular donation is good for the health, has also been confirmed in scientific studies.

For example, a study sponsored by the Carstens Foundation showed that it can combat hypertension. In addition, regular donors rarely have a heart attack.

"The conclusion is obvious that regular blood donation has positive effects on the well-being in general and the health of Hypertonikern (people with high blood pressure) in particular", explained Andreas Michalsen of the German society for transfusion medicine and Immunhämatologie (DGTI) in a message of the news agency dpa.

Together with other researchers, the professor was able to prove that the blood loss caused by a donation causes a reduction in blood pressure.

According to Michalsen, this is important information, considering that even the slightest reduction in blood pressure protected against cardiovascular disease.

According to the information, the blood pressure reduction after the donation usually last for six weeks.

Declining donor numbers

The head of the transfusion medicine department at the University of Cologne, Prof. Dr. med. Birgit Gathof, referred to in the dpa report on the health benefits, which also showed in several studies:

"People who regularly go for blood donation not only know their blood pressure, which is measured at each appointment as part of the medical examination, but also suffer less frequently from heart attacks than people who donate no blood."

"It is possible to donate blood from the age of 18 to 72 when you are healthy and there are no grounds for exclusion after completing the questionnaire and examining the doctor at the on-site blood donor appointment," explains the blood transfusion service of the Bavarian Red Cross on his website.

"In addition, you have to weigh at least 50 kg. As a first donor you should not be older than 64 years old. Women can donate blood four times, men six times within 12 months. Between two blood donations must be a minimum distance of 56 donation-free days ", so the experts further. (Ad)