You’re never too old to donate blood

Dear Dr. Roach: I have been a regular blood donor for decades. At times, I’m rejected because I just miss the minimum iron count necessary. My question is if I should continue to be a blood donor at age 84. What is your opinion? — J.C.

There is no age limit on donating blood. That is, if you are healthy and have no medical conditions that would keep you from donating.

If you are borderline on iron in the blood, it could be that you are donating more often than is optimal for you. I also have been trained to think of the worst possibility, which is that you might have hidden iron loss, so I would want to be sure you have had your colonoscopy as recommended.

Dear Dr. Roach: I was told I needed a hip replacement, but they were unable to do surgery because of my medical conditions. I am 78, weigh 240 pounds, have diabetes, sleep apnea, mitral valve prolapse and congestive heart failure. The doctor said I have only a 50-50 chance. — R.L.

A hip replacement is a big, invasive surgery that most people do well after. It improves quality of life for most people who need it. However, it isn’t right or safe for everyone.

Congestive heart failure is a very broad diagnosis that can include people with a very mild decrease in their heart function to people with acutely life-threatening disease to people with severe chronic disability. Congestive heart failure isn’t a specific diagnosis, it’s a syndrome with many possible causes but it is true that many people with CHF are not considered safe for an elective surgery like joint replacement.

There are new treatments for CHF, and if you are not seeing a specialist for it, you should. It’s possible that with more aggressive treatment, your CHF would be better controlled, possibly enough to reconsider surgery.