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Donating Blood

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Section: Other Health Issues
By: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE
Posted: 04.01.2009

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I am a type 2 diabetic, controlling it by diet. I also am a blood donor. I would like to know what effects donating blood every 2 months will have on the results of my A1C (which is done every 3 months).

I have read conflicting information on the effects of donating blood: one source said it would have no effect, while another recommended that you time your A1C to be just before you donate blood. So to resolve this dilemma, I consulted a highly respected Endocrinologist, Anne Peters MD, Director of the USC Clinical Diabetes Program in Los Angeles, California. Here is her reply:

"Donating blood should not significantly affect the A1C. It could make it slightly lower (removing new and old red blood cells that get replaced by new, less glycated red blood cells from the person's bone marrow) but in general the effect is not clinically significant. GETTING a blood transfusion makes a big difference in A1C levels, falsely lowering it (assuming the person donating the blood does not have diabetes)."

Resource Links

American National Red Cross

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Important Notice: Information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.

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