They are not asked directly whether they have hemochromatosis but whether they have "a blood disease."
Current FDA regulations for blood donation do not prohibit blood from hemochromatosis patients. However, unless the blood center has an FDA variance, all blood that is drawn during therapeutic phlebotomies must be labeled and the source indicated. It is then up to physicians and their patients to decide whether they want to use the blood. Schreiber and REDS study co-authors note that labeled blood is usually not well accepted and is often discarded. In 1999, the FDA began granting variances to blood collection organizations that offer free phlebotomies to all patients with hemochromatosis. The variances allow blood to be collected from these patients without special labeling. However, to qualify for a variance, the blood collection organization must bear the cost of the free phlebotomies. Only a small percentage of licensed and registered blood collection facilities have requested and received variances.
To arrange an interview with an NHLBI scientist, contact the NHLBI Communications Office at (301) 496 - 4236. To interview Dr. Schreiber, call (301) 251-8203; to interview Ana Sanchez, MHS, of Westat, the lead author of the study, call (301) 251-2268.
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