Two million people in Germany already donate blood regularly. However, since 15,000 blood donations are required every day for operations, care after accidents and the treatment of serious illnesses such as cancer, there is a chronic shortage. In order to avoid bottlenecks, every person between the ages of 18 and 68 should donate blood if there are no health reasons, such as autoimmune diseases, that speak against it. As a bonus, you can be pleased that donating blood also brings health benefits.
This is how healthy blood donation is for the donor
1. Donating blood reduces high blood pressure
People with high blood pressure benefit immediately from having their blood drawn. Several have already shown this Studies impressively. It is curious, however, that the blood pressure of donors with normal blood pressure values did not change. While initially the mere loss of blood volume is the trigger for the antihypertensive effect suspected, researchers now assume that it is related to the loss of hemoglobin. The red dye not only gives the blood its color, but is also responsible for transporting oxygen. The body needs about six weeksto regenerate lost hemoglobin – after this period, the antihypertensive effect after a donation also slowly decreases.
One study with 292 donors also showed that the lowering of blood pressure was more effective the more frequently the test subjects donated. In order to take advantage of the effect, you should therefore go to the blood donation as often as possible. In Germany women are allowed to donate blood a maximum of four times a year, men a maximum of six times.
2. Your risk of cardiovascular disease decreases
Even small reductions in blood pressure can have a big impact on the health of your cardiovascular system. People who donate blood regularly are less likely to have a heart attack than those who do not donate blood. A small decrease in high blood pressure by a few mmHg reduces the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Has another reduction according to Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Michalsen from the Berlin Charité even greater effects: “A decrease in blood pressure of ten mmHg systolic or five mmHg diastolic reduces the risk of stroke and ischemic heart disease by up to 40 percent”.
3. You get a free health check-up
After a blood donation, your blood will of course be checked for pathogens so that possible recipients only receive healthy blood. You will be tested for diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis or HIV every time you donate blood. It will also check that your blood pressure is in a normal, healthy range and measure your body temperature. You can also ask about your blood type, which can be important in the event of an accident.
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