Blood collecting facilities said they will only raise the upper age limit for blood donors by one or two years, although some people over 55 express a strong commitment to help others by giving their blood.

Under China's Blood Donation Law, donors should be between 18 and 55 years. However, the law doesn't strictly ban healthy donors who are slightly older.

Collection authorities said there are some 100 regular donors about 55 years old who still visit blood centers every six months.

In addition to helping others, donating blood has positive medical effects for older people and can protect the cardiovascular system and help prevent heart disease, said Song Qi, an official from Shanghai Blood Administration Office.

"However, we only allow people under 57 years old to make donations, in an effort to follow the law and to protect the donors. If the person is above 57 years old, we have to refuse their requests. In fact, we only meet dozens of such elderly people every year."

To meet average donors' requirements, blood collecting centers make physical checks and allow healthy people to donate blood, while keeping a database of donors for future use.

People in their 50s are still capable of donating blood. China's mainland is probably the place with perhaps the strictest age limit, as most countries and regions set 65 as the upper limit.

Hong Kong only requires that donors must be 16 years old and doesn't set the maximum age.

Since Chinese are still conservative about donating blood and worry about hygienic collection and possible side effects, the law sets the age limit to conform to the nation's conditions and show concern, officials said.

Medical experts said blood donation has positive effects on elderly donors, who have a higher blood viscosity and a poorer blood generating ability.

"Blood donation is a kind of protection for the cardiovascular system, as it can quicken blood flow in the brain and prevent coronary heart diseases," said Dr Wang Guisong, a neurosurgeon from Shanghai's Renji Hospital.

Research conducted on 278 people between 42 and 60 years old in Finland found that blood donors' incidence of coronary heart diseases was 86 percent lower than non-donors for five years after donation, experts said.

So, they emphasized donation is safe, open to older people and confers medical benefits.

(Shanghai Daily September 17, 2005)