Blood donation has been proposed to be associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, but the effects of phlebotomy on vascular function in human subjects have not been well characterized. A prospective randomized double-blind study was undertaken to determine the effects of iron loss and red blood cell loss induced by serial phlebotomy on vascular endothelial function in the brachial artery.

84 Fe-replete, non-anemic subjects were randomly assigned to one of three experimental serial phlebotomy procedures designed to induce Fe loss or RBC loss. Brachial artery reactivity (BAR, %) in response to transient oxidative stress induced by oral methionine was measured with high-resolution duplex ultrasound imaging before and after study phlebotomy procedures.

Inclusion Criteria:

• hemoglobin levels >13.5 g/dl for men, or >12.5 g/dl for women
• serum ferritin 50-400 ng/ml

Exclusion Criteria:

• known intolerance of phlebotomy procedures
• major trauma or surgical procedures in the last 2 years
• menstrual or other uterine bleeding in the last 2 years
• chronic oral anticoagulation or dual antiplatelet therapy
• chronic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use
• known history of hemochromatosis or other disorder of hematopoiesis or Fe metabolism
• chronic oral Fe supplementation other than Fe-containing multivitamins
• history of active cancer in the past 2 years
• known history of chronic inflammatory disease
• uncontrolled hypertension
• electrocardiographic evidence of prior myocardial infarction
• diabetes mellitus
• fasting glucose >100 mg/dL
• body mass index >40 kg/m2
• any tobacco use in the past 6 months

PI will make de-identified dataset available upon request in accord with institutional data use agreement policy