Chronic sauna use could cause a lot of things (including dehydration!) However, as no Finns feature in the current list of Supercentenarians (and very few are documented at all) I doubt that lifelong sauna use has ANY effect on longevity.
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I’ve donated about 20 liters since mid '21, not always on a 4 week basis. My blood work continues to look good except for a one time dip in ferritin, which went way too low. Albumin drops a bit after each donation but quickly recovers. All other marker in a basic CBC and CMP panels are good or very good. Conboy’s work has some gaps which they acknowledge, such as how long the effects last, and what volume of plasma removal is needed in one exchange (i.e is there a threshold effect). The animal NBE experiments were with 50% plasma loss and still saw effects with one exchange. Rob Flickenger posted a very small human study (2021 “Plasma donation induces a protein expression
profile shift in circulating human blood”) mimicking 800 ml plasma donation which seemed to show many of the same proteome changes the Conboys showed in their 2020 paper. But routine plasma donation is likely (not guaranteed) pretty safe as it is FDA approved and been used for many years. My blood bank limit is about 13 liters per year of plasma based on FDA regs. Also, we should be doing routine blood work along with any intervention. Some of the markers (DNA damage etc) in the 2022 Conboy paper may good to add to routine CBC and CMP.
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I used two methods to estimate plasma volume plus just general knowledge of the amount of whole blood someone my size (175 lbs) will have and came up with an estimate of roughly 3000 mls of plasma (a bit over 50% of whole blood volume). So a 50% exchange would be about 1500 mls. When I donate plasma, 800 mls a month, I can be reasonably confident I’m losing 25% of my old plasma. My albumin comes back to normal very fast, within a few days, based on lab work.
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Donating whole blood will rapidly reduce iron stores (ferritin) as you probably know. My blood bank (florida) is most in need of platelets and some plasma, so I donate both and rarely donate whole blood anymore. Platelets, I’m told, go preferentially to cancer patients and can only be stored a few days. For either platelets or plasma donation they also take about 50 mls of whole blood to test for various pathogens/toxins so over 9 to 10 donations you also give the equivalent of one whole blood donation, so ferritin will also go down. Either way, I 've found it helpful to check my ferritin level at least 2x/y to ensure its low but not too low. BTW, with single platelet donation, which can be done up to 24 times a year, you also loose about 270 mls of plasma, roughly the same as a whole blood donation (a bit over 50% plasma by volume) which can only be done 1x/8 wks. They will also do a double platelet or a platelet+plasma. All of these involve varying amounts of plasma lose, with plasma-only being highest volume, so it’s fairly easy to turnover at least 2 plasma volumes each year in addition to unloading toxins and Fe.
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@Peterz54 Yes, lowering my iron is my goal. I will watch for low iron. Thanks. I am able to give whole blood every 52 days (I think). I think you are saying I can give platelets (vs whole blood) more often and turn over more plasma?
@Joseph_Lavelle Yes, you can give platelets much more frequently. And plasma as well. Each of these involves a little whole blood lose as well. You can design your own regime. There may be delay (8 weeks) on all of these after whole blood donation, but otherwise you can donate fairly frequently. Each single platelet donation will result in a similar plasma lose as a single whole blood donation, so over the course of a year you loose about 4 times as much plasma donating platelets vs whole blood. You can increase plasma lose een more by doing platelet and plasma donations.
Your donor facility can help you sort out optimum schedule. Only downside is that it takes a little more time to donate plasma or platelets than whole blood.
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Ferritin is interesting. AIUI generally a lower level of Ferritin is preferable.
I do weekly blood tests which is perhaps 10ml to 20ml of blood. One lab uses 5 vials some of which are 4ml and some 5ml. Hence over a year that is 0.5-1 l of blood.
I wonder if that is behind my ferritin levels going down (although they vary week to week).
For anyone interested here they are:
420 337 358 329 332 404 371 412 325 204.6 364 202 337 176.2 176.2 319 172.9 205 253 205 145 175 157.9 165.7 171.4 190.9 180.4 173.4 222 176.7 ng/ml 298 291 mgc/L 202.5 187.8 174.9 140.4 155.4 170.5 123.2 150 152.6 147.6 168.7 177 201 165 203 168 165 164 154 142 ng/ml 164.16 129 126 134.42 118 116.07 115 120.45 96 going down? 102.5 93 79.02 95 122.54 166 109 95 115.63 161 112 105 97 110 96 99 112 92 68.3 99.5 103.21 96 101.3 108 93
I find it curious how they can vary a lot from test to test although they have trended down quite a bit.
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Every lab test will have different precision, so it’s not surprising to see some variability, although some of the swings are fairly large (your lab can clarify this). Also, not surprising to see some reduction in ferritin over time due to whole blood loss, but the magnitude of reduction is not in proportion to your whole blood loss. Much larger drop. There may be a reason for this, but don’t know why at this time - will have to check on expected ferritin change per unit volume of blood loss. As for the optimum level, I also need to revisit this issue, but I look to stay below 100 ng/ml and above the lower end of reference range (about 30 ng/ml). I have been as low as 7 ng/ml after a period of whole blood donation. Now I take a small dose of iron (via supplementation) for a few days after each donation, whatever donation type. Supplementation keeps me around low end of reference range. My diet is mostly plant based (a little fish) so I get very little heme iron via diet. I suspect the upper end of the lab reference range is way too high, but it’s time to revisit optimum ferritin levels
I would tend to agree that the drop is a lot more than would be expected merely as a result of a blood loss of 0.5-1 litres per year. I have not studied this in any detail, however,
I think there is a background metabolic issue that I have changed that is affecting ferritin levels.
I think that is a positive symptom, but I don’t know the details.
I do have good evidence that my attack on failures of transcription of mRNA (mainly through increasing cytosolic acetyl-CoA levels on a cyclical basis) is hitting a core gero pathway. This is not just from me but anecdotally from other people following the protocol.
In the US, there are two types of plasma donation rules. For bloodbanks which collect whole blood, platelets, or plasma for patients the plasma donation frequency is limited to no more than 1x/4 weeks. Other donation centers, like CSL plasma, collect plasma which does not go to patients, but to develop products, and they can take 2 donations per week. I am not clear as to why the FDA has two standards though. For blood banks we have a 13 liter per year limit which for me is about 4 plasma volumes. I used CSL plasma once but they are an hour away and it was crowded with people looking to get their cash for donating - much more convenient to use my local blood bank.
At my age (71,5) I cant donat…
As i think its a good longevity aprouch, some times will spend 5k w/ Dr Kiprov TPE.
My blood bank (US) has no age limit (I am 69) for plasma donation. I think CSL plasma has a limit of about 72 (not sure though). Blood bank donation is not full TPE as it is only about 25% of plasma volume per donation, but it is free and convenient and I can easily turnover 3 plasma volumes per year. Kiprov and others (Conboy Lab) have not shown that only TPE volumes are needed for positive effects of removing old plasma and they have not shown duration of effects (probably at least 1 month though based on Conboy work).
Eligibility Requirements
Donation Experience
Plasma Donation Made Easy
When you choose to donate with Octapharma Plasma, we want to create an experience that gives you a sense of pride and purpose.
We strive to elevate the plasma donation process by providing the highest quality environment and services. Here’s a peek at the plasma donation requirements & what you should expect during your first visit.
In a Short Amount of Time, You Can Make a Big Difference
HOW LONG A PLASMA DONATION TAKES
Your first visit will take longer than returning donations, because of the initial donor suitability screening. This screening includes a video, medical history, and brief health questionnaire.
Your return visits will take a little over an hour and will not include the initial health screening.
To maximize your experience, it is very important to be hydrated, so make sure you drink plenty of water the day before and the day of your donation.
Eligibility Requirements
Before you come in to donate, please be sure you meet the plasma donor eligibility requirements. Take a look at these general guidelines.
Age
Must be 18-70
Weight
Minimum 110 lb
Residency
- Social Security Number
- Proof of local address
Medical Examination
- During first visit only
- Annually thereafter
Virus Ineligibility
- Hepatitis (negative)
- HIV (negative)
- Parvo B19 (negative)
Diet and Hydration Recommendations
- High protein and iron-rich foods
- Plenty of water
Tattoos & Piercings
- 4-month deferral
Pregnant
- 6-12 months after pregnancy ends
- Check with your doctor prior to donating
Frequency
- U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines
- 2 donations within a 7-day period, with at least 2 days between those 2 donations
What to bring with you
When you donate plasma at Octapharma Plasma, there are a few essential things you’ll need to have with you.
Requirements to Donate Plasma
If you’re a first-time donor, you’ll need:
- Current, valid photo ID (must be 18 years old)
- Proof of your Social Security number
- Proof of current address (such as a piece of mail postmarked in the past 30 days, or a current lease)
- Active military are to provide the address where they receive mail & their physical address
Recommended
Our centers have:
- Free WiFi
- HD televisions
Feel free to bring:
- Books
- Tablets
- Magazines
- Music players or smartphones (with headphones, of course).
Restrictions
Please note, the following are not permitted in our donation centers:
- Phone calls
- Photography
- Sleeping
- Weapons
- Food/Drink
What to Expect During Your First Visit
Welcome
As a first-time donor, a staff member will greet you at the front desk to review your documents.
Learn
Then, you will be given a brief educational video to watch.
Health Screening
From there, you will have a free health screening, checking of hematocrit levels and will complete a medical questionnaire with one of our medical staff to ensure you are an excellent candidate to donate.
Donate
Sit down and relax while you donate. One of our licensed phlebotomists will be available to you throughout the donation process.
Payment
After a successful donation, you will be given your Octapharma Plasma prepaid card and your donor fee will be loaded within 24 hours.
Return
We’d love to see you again. You can return for your second donation after 48 hours.
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Don’t forget to come back within 14 days of your first visit. We cannot use your first plasma donation until you make your second donation with us.
Health and Nutrition Tips
Eating the right foods and drinking plenty of water is always important for your health. Focusing on good nutrition is even more important before and after you donate plasma. Follow these tips to get your body ready to donate, and to prepare for a safe and successful plasma donation experience.
Before you donate plasma
- Stay Hydrated – Drink 6 to 8 cups of water or juice the day before and day of your donation.
-
Eat Protein and Iron-Rich Food – Eat protein-rich, iron-rich meals at least 3 hours before donating.
- Meat (Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Shrimp, Turkey, Ham)
- Dairy (Milk, Cheese, Yogurt)
- Beans, Nuts, Seeds
- Vegetables (Broccoli, Collard Greens)
- Fruits (Watermelon, Raisins)
- Cereals (iron-enriched)
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Wear comfortable clothes, with sleeves that can be pushed up to your shoulder.
- Bring something to pass the time. Take advantage of free wi-fi at all of our donation centers with a smartphone or tablet, or bring music (with headphones, of course), a book, or a magazine.
- Avoid fatty foods like french fries, potato chips, pizza, or sweets the day you donate. They can affect blood tests and make your plasma milky, which might prevent you from donating.
- Avoid alcohol the night before and the day of your donation.
After you donate plasma
-
Wait 2 days to donate plasma again.
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Continue to drink plenty of water.
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Continue to eat foods rich in protein and iron.
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Avoid smoking for 30 minutes and alcohol for 4 hours after donation.
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Avoid strenuous exercise immediately after donating.
Find Your Plasma Center
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CSL Plasma site says upper limit is 74, if that helps. You can donate 2 times in a week, but must be a day in between, so depending on weight you should be able to change out about 50% of plasma in a very short period. My blood donation center in Florida (LifeSouth) has no upper age limit but only allows on plasma donation every 4 weeks, although you can sandwich platelets in between to add another ~250 mls.
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