Healthy seniors taking prolonged low-dose aspirin may see higher risk of anaemia: study

SYDNEY, Australia - A Monash University-led study has shown that prolonged daily aspirin use may increase the risk of anaemia in healthy elder people, especially for those aged 70 and above.

The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, followed 18,153 initially healthy older adults in Australia and the United States and recorded incidents of anaemia over an average 4.7 years, according to a news release from Monash University on Tuesday.

Half of the participants took a placebo while the other half took a daily low dose of 100 mg of aspirin, said the release.

The risk of developing anaemia was found to be 20 per cent higher in the aspirin group compared to that in the placebo group, it said.

Anaemia is commonly experienced by older adults, potentially affecting overall function and increasing fatigue, disabilities, depressive symptoms and cognitive problems.

It is estimated that 30 per cent of people aged 75 years or older are anaemic worldwide, mostly attributed to iron deficiency, medical comorbidities and inflammation, said the release.

However, the cause in about a third of cases is still unknown, it added.

"This study gives a clearer picture of the additional risk of becoming anaemic with aspirin use and the impact is likely to be greater in older adults with underlying diseases, such as kidney disease," said Zoe McQuilten, lead author of the study and associate professor from Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

She urged patients to follow the advice of their doctors about their daily use of aspirin and not to change their aspirin regimen without doctors' permission.

In addition to a higher risk of anaemia, the study also unveiled that the aspirin group suffered a faster decline of haemoglobin and reduced ferritin levels in blood tests compared to the placebo group, said the release. - XINHUA