Studies

Study proves positive health effects of plasma donation

The prestigious medical journal "Vox Sanguinis " has confirmed a phenomenon that has long been known: plasma donation lowers the level of blood lipids in the plasma. The cholesterol study points to a "blood-cleansing" effect of plasma donation; it is known that high blood lipids, in particular total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, together with smoking, physical inactivity, obesity and stress, are among the risk factors for vascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.

Study shows

Plasma donation improves cholesterol levels

In this study, data from 663 donors from 9 American plasma centers were evaluated, in both sexes and in the age groups 18 to 69 years.
First-time donors or donors who had last donated 6 months ago were included in the study.
All donors had to pass the legal selection criteria for plasma donation, including routine blood tests.
Donors were required to donate at least once a week for 16 weeks.
Cholesterol levels were measured before and after donation. Both total cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol showed a significant drop after donation, while "good" HDL cholesterol remained within the normal range; the drop in levels was greater when baseline cholesterol was higher (above the normal range).

663
donors
9
American plasma centers
16
weeks Donate at least once
19 - 69
Age group

Risk to the heart

The role of fat metabolism and obesity

Obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are the bad three that are responsible for vascular calcification and the associated high risk of heart attack and stroke. In the case of cholesterol, additional lipid metabolism disorders (triglycerides > 150 mg/dl and HDL < 40 in men and < 50 mg/dl in women) must also be taken into account. High blood pressure is treated with blood pressure medication, obesity with diets or medication, some of which have considerable side effects, and with lipid-lowering drugs, which are expensive and not without side effects.

Plasma donation

Positive effect on blood pressure

In the January 2015 issue of the prestigious specialist journal "Vox sanguinis" ("the voice of blood"), a scientific study from Canada was presented that investigated the effect of plasma donation on blood pressure. Over an observation period of 4 months, 666 donors were observed who came to donate between at least 16 and 32 times during this period. Donors with high blood pressure showed a significant reduction in both systolic (= upper blood pressure value) and diastolic (= lower blood pressure value) blood pressure, while donors with normal blood pressure showed no changes in blood pressure.

These positive changes were seen with a donation frequency of at least one donation within 2 weeks. With a donation frequency of one donation within more than 2 weeks, the favorable effects were no longer observed. The reason for the therapeutic effect on blood pressure is assumed to be the drop in the concentration of blood pressure-active substances in the plasma during donation; studies are also underway in which hypertensive patients undergo plasma donation in order to treat their condition ("therapeutic plasmapheresis").

Better blood pressure

Studies have shown that plasma donations can help to reduce patients' high blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. This is particularly important as high cholesterol combined with high blood pressure poses an additional risk of cardiovascular diseases such as strokes or heart attacks.