In contrast, in a recent study of blood donors in
Calabar, Nigeria, Akpotuzor et al. observed no
difference in biochemical iron parameters between
male donors and healthy controls18, although in that
study donors were not separated into several categories
as they were in this study. All donors who attended
their bleeding bay were enlisted into the study. In this
study, the high prevalences of iron deficiency and irondeficiency
anaemia could be attributed to the larger
volumes of blood (450 mL) that the regular blood
donors donate at short intervals. This calls for
supervision of ferritin levels and adequate iron
supplementation, in order that iron deficiency does
not develop among this vulnerable population.