Iron supplement study for blood donors

A new South Australian study is looking into the effectiveness of iron supplements after giving blood.

Donating blood can save lives, but it can also lead to iron depletion and for some men and women, and that means the difference between being able to donate or not.

Dr Joanna Speedy from the Red Cross said: “Iron health is really important to our donors, when you donate whole blood, you’re donating red blood cells and the red cells are rich in iron.”

The Red Cross is doing a study on women across South Australia and they are looking for participants.

“Our recent research shows females aged 18 to 45 generally tend to have lower iron stores and may take longer to replace the iron after blood donation,” Dr Speedy said.

“We’re hoping that this study will help us understand if iron supplements will play a role in helping manage iron health in the future.”

Researchers said the supplements have minimal side effects.

Eligible women will be given supplements after each blood donation for 13 months, with their iron levels tested throughout.

They hope when the study is complete in early 2016 the findings will help boost blood stock and benefits women Australia-wide.

For more information on the study contact the Red Cross Blood Service on 13 14 95 or visit www.donateblood.com.au.