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Roughly one third of regular blood donors become iron depleted, and many are deferred from their next donation because of low hemoglobin (<12.5 g/dL), even with a minimum donation interval of 8 weeks. U.S. investigators assessed recovery of hemoglobin and iron stores in 215 donors (half with ferritin levels ≤26 ng/mL [“low ferritin”] and half with ferritin levels >26 ng/mL [“higher ferritin”]) who were randomized to receive ferrous gluconate (325 mg daily) or no treatment for 24 weeks after donating 1 unit of whole blood. At baseline, mean hemoglobin levels were 13.5 g/dL and 14.2 g/dL in the low- and higher-ferritin groups, respectively, and mean ferritin levels were 15 ng/mL and 56 ng/mL, respectively. Mean hemoglobin levels declined roug…