Study Links Low-Dose Aspirin to Increased Risk of Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Older Adults
A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that taking low-dose aspirin to increased risk of iron-deficiency anemia in individuals aged 70 or older. Researchers from Monash University in Melbourne analyzed data from the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) randomized controlled trial, which involved over 19,000 participants. The trial monitored the blood iron levels of individuals in the aspirin group, who took 100 milligrams of aspirin daily. Findings from the Study The results of the study indicate that the low-dose aspirin to increased risk of developing anemia was 23.5% higher among those assigned to receive low-dose aspirin. The researchers noted that differences in bleeding events did not explain the low-dose aspirin to increased risk of anemia or the decline in iron levels observed during the trial. Dr. Basil A. Eldadah, chief of the Geriatrics Branch at the division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology at the National Institute o...