Regular blood donation may help in the management of hypertension: an observational study on 292 blood donors

BACKGROUND Hypertension is one of the leading global risks for cardiovascular events worldwide. There is preliminary evidence that regular blood donation may be beneficial. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Unselected blood donors were included in this observational study. Blood pressure (BP) was measured before and after blood donation, with participants donating between one and four occasions in a 1‐year study period. RESULTS In this study, 292 donors were enrolled. At baseline, 146 had elevated BP (>140/90 mmHg). In hypertensives, after four blood donations, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively) decreased from a mean of 155.9 ± 13.0 to 143.7 ± 15.0 mmHg and from 91.4 ± 9.2 to 84.5 ± 9.3 mmHg, respectively (each p