Is It Safe For People With Diabetes To Donate Blood? – News18

Last Updated:January 16, 2025, 13:15 IST

Contrary to popular belief, diabetes is not a blood-borne disease. If the blood sugar of diabetic patients is controlled and they do not have any other complications, they can donate blood

Most people think that diabetic patients should not donate blood because it can spread diabetes to another person. However, health experts completely reject this popular misconception.

Given the increasingly sedentary lifestyles we lead today, millions of people are struggling with diabetes around the world. This is a disease related to blood sugar, and once it sets in, it cannot be completely cured through treatment but only managed through diet and exercise.

Diabetics need to lead a healthy lifestyle, maintain a good diet and take medicines throughout their life. Diabetes patients can efficiently lead their lives by controlling their diet and ensuring regular exercises. Now the question is, can diabetes patients also donate blood? Is their blood safe for the recipient’s body?

Dr Sonia Rawat, Director of Preventive Health and Wellness Department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, told News18 that diabetes is not a blood-borne disease. Diabetes occurs in the body when there is insulin resistance or no insulin production. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes do not spread through blood, and affected patients can donate blood with some precautions.

If a diabetic patient has heart, kidney or any other serious disease, they are not advised to donate blood as doing so can be dangerous.

According to Dr Rawat, if the blood sugar of diabetic patients is controlled and they do not have any other disease, they can donate blood. However, before donating blood, they should get themselves examined and consult a doctor.

If the blood of a diabetic patient is transfused to another person, the latter will not contract this disease. Diabetes patients who want to donate blood should keep their blood sugar under control and follow proper diet. Also, they are recommended to visit the doctor from time to time.

According to experts, the important thing is that it is necessary to control diabetes completely before donating blood. If the blood sugar level is too high or too low, blood should not be donated. If the blood sugar fluctuates, blood donation can cause weakness, dizziness or other problems for the diabetes patient. Therefore, proper monitoring of blood sugar should be done before donating blood. In the case of diabetic patients, the decision of blood donation should be completely based on the advice of the doctor, so that no problems arise.