Get blood pressure under control via bloodletting? Blood donation is healthy

Regular blood donation is good for your health

According to experts, around 15,000 blood donations are needed every day in Germany. Unfortunately, only about three percent of Germans are willing to donate. The charitable act not only helps the recipients but also serves the health of the donors.

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.

Those who donate blood regularly do something good for their health. Because the blood loss causes the donation to lower blood pressure. (Image: lightpoet / 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."

Unfortunately, the number of blood donations in Germany has been falling for years. According to Michalsen, there were almost five million whole blood donations in 2010, but only four million in 2016. And although the donors would have advantages.

"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.

At the 50th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Transfusion Medicine and Immune Hematology, which will take place in Cologne from 24 to 27 October, experts will discuss the influence of donated blood on people with high blood pressure. (Ad)