IBTO Medical Tests Quicken

The average response time for blood tests offered by Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) centers in the current fiscal year (began March 21) will be shorter than the previous year, said Bashir Haji Beigi, IBTO spokesman on Friday. Pointing to the newly updated tests, he said, “The most important are tests for vitamin D deficiency which can cause different health complications including cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairment in older adults, severe asthma in children and different types of cancers,” IRNA quoted him, as saying. “Folic acid test and test for vitamin B12 levels (lack of either vitamin may cause anemia) are also offered by the centers for the first time,” he said, adding that, “Tumor marker blood tests to diagnose some types of cancers have also been added to the list of lab tests.” Most tumor markers are created by normal cells as well as by cancer cells; however, they are produced at much higher speed in cancerous conditions.

“These cells (which are mostly protein cells) can be found in the patients’ blood,” he said. Pointing to the blood donation rate In Iran, Haji Beigi said approximately 2.1 million units of blood are donated each year, sufficient to meet demand.