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This blood donation panel includes tests for various blood components: Hematocrit, iron & total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and ferritin.

This panel is designed to determine if:

1- Your blood donation or therapeutic phlebotomy was effective in lowering your high hematocrit without negatively affecting ferritin or iron.

2- It is safe to do another blood donation or therapeutic phlebotomy depending on ferritin or iron levels.

What is Blood Donation?

Blood donation is the process of giving blood to help patients in need of transfusions. It involves collecting blood from a donor and separating it into its various components, such as red blood cells, plasma, and platelets. Blood donation is a safe and voluntary process that helps save lives and improve the health of patients undergoing surgery, receiving treatment for cancer or blood disorders, and experiencing traumatic injuries.

Benefits of Donating Blood

Donating blood has numerous benefits for both the donor and the recipient. For the donor, donating blood can help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, and improve overall cardiovascular health. Donating blood regularly can also help maintain healthy iron levels and improve blood flow. For the recipient, blood donation can help save lives, improve health outcomes, and enhance the quality of life.

The Process of Donating Blood

The process of donating blood typically involves the following steps:

1. Registration: The donor registers to donate blood and provides basic information, such as name, address, and medical history.

2. Screening: The donor undergoes a medical screening to ensure they are eligible to donate blood. This includes a blood test to check for infectious diseases and a review of medical history.

3. Blood Collection: The donor’s blood is collected through a sterile needle inserted into a vein in the arm. The blood is collected into a bag or container, and the process typically takes 10-15 minutes.

4. Separation: The collected blood is separated into its various components, such as red blood cells, plasma, and platelets.

5. Testing: The donated blood is tested for infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis, and for blood type and Rh factor.

6. Storage: The donated blood is stored in a blood bank or transfusion center until it is needed for a patient.

Overall, blood donation is a safe and rewarding process that helps save lives and improve the health of patients in need.

What is Hematocrit and Red Blood Cells?

Hematocrit is the portion of blood made up of red blood cells.

High hematocrit occurs when there is an excessive production of red blood cells, which can thicken the blood and place additional strain on the heart and blood vessels. High hematocrit can cause the blood to become very viscous or “sticky,” making it harder for the heart to pump. High blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks can occur.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy and High Hematocrit

The association between testosterone replacement therapy and high hematocrit has been reported for the past few years as this therapy has become more mainstream. In addition to increasing muscle and sex drive, testosterone can increase the body’s production of red blood cells. This hematopoietic (blood-building) effect could be a good thing for those with mild anemia.

Although all testosterone replacement products can increase the number of red blood cells, the study showed a higher incidence of higher hematocrit in those using intramuscular testosterone than topical administration (testosterone patch was the main option used – no gels). Smoking and sleep apnea have also been associated with polycythemia and may contribute to the effects of other risk factors like TRT.

It’s important to check patients’ hemoglobin and hematocrit blood levels while on testosterone replacement therapy. As we all know, hemoglobin is the substance that makes blood red and helps transport oxygen in the blood. Additionally, carbon dioxide plays a crucial role in the function of hemoglobin, as it is carried by red blood cells throughout the body. Hematocrit reflects the proportion of red cells to total blood volume. A hematocrit of over 52 percent should be evaluated. Decreasing testosterone dose or stopping it are options that may not be the best for assuring patients’ best quality of life, however. Switching from injectable to transdermal testosterone may decrease hematocrit, but in many cases not to the degree needed.

Different medical guideline groups that recommend monitoring for testosterone replacement therapy agree about measuring hematocrit at month 3 and then annually, with some also recommending measurements at month 6 after starting testosterone.

How to Lower Hematocrit with Blood Donations—Warning

Many patients on testosterone replacement who experience polycythemia do not want to stop the therapy due to fears of re-experiencing the depression, fatigue, and low sex drive they had before starting treatment. Lowering hematocrit through blood donation can also reduce the risk of serious complications such as blood clots and stroke. For those patients, blood donation or therapeutic phlebotomy may be the answer. Therapeutic phlebotomy is very similar to what happens when donating blood, but this procedure is prescribed by physicians as a way to bring down blood hematocrit and viscosity when blood centers refuse to accept a blood donor because of his high hematocrit.

When donating blood, usually a unit of blood is extracted from the body. For every unit of blood donated or extracted through therapeutic phlebotomy, there is a 2-3 point decrease in hematocrit. If your hematocrit is 56 and you want to bring him under 50, you would have to give 2 to 3 units of blood. However, taking this much blood out in one single blood donation/phlebotomy session may deplete ferritin and iron levels, which can cause extreme fatigue. So, be conservative and only give 1 unit max even if you have to go more frequently. But be aware that the Red Cross has stated that blood donations done more frequently than every 2.5 months run the risk of lowering your ferritin and iron too much (which can cause fatigue), so make sure that you get a ferritin test to determine if you should take an iron supplement after donating or to make sure that ferritin is not low before the next blood donation. It is estimated that one unit of blood extracted can lower ferritin by 30 points. Ferritin levels under 45 have been linked to fatigue and other symptoms.

No fasting required.