Donating Blood May Help Some Men Avoid Heart Disease, Study Finds

Giving blood may have helped some men avoid heart disease, according to a new study at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. Tracking nearly 4,000 men for eight years, Dr. David Meyers and co-workers found that 567 out of 3,200 (17.7%) who did not donate blood had a heart attack or other cardiac problem, compared to just 64 out of 655 (9.8%) donors. Only men who did not smoke got the apparent benefit.

The study, published today in the journal Heart, supports the theory that excess iron has a role in heart disease and that men can lower their risk by getting rid of iron through blood donation. The researchers are now trying to rule out the possibility that people who donate blood have healthier hearts to begin with.