Australian researchers have revealed that one of the most consumed anti-inflammatories in the world increases the risk of anemia and iron deficiency, especially as you age.
Pallor, fatigue… anemia can happen anytime. It corresponds to a drop in hemoglobin in the blood resulting in a deficit of oxygen supply to the tissues since it is the hemoglobin which is the carrier. We think that 30% of people aged 75 or over worldwide are anemic, recall researchers at Monash University in Annals of Internal Medicine June 20, Anemia in the elderly is most often attributed to a iron deficiency, medical comorbidities and/or inflammation (chronic diseases). There cause is unknown in about a third of cases. According to Australian scientists, it could be medicated.
They followed 19,114 people aged 70 and over, in good health, in Australia and the United States. They separated them into two groups: one took 100 mg of aspirin dailythe other received a placebo. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), available without a prescriptionis the most consumed drug in the world to relieve fever, body aches or headaches. Hemoglobin concentration was measured annually in all participants. There ferritin was measured at baseline and 3 years later.
Result: the risk of developing anemia turned out to be 20% higher in the aspirin group than in the placebo group. I’incidence of anemia in the aspirin group was 51 cases/1000 against 43/1000 in the placebo group. THE hemoglobin concentrations have decreased more in volunteers taking aspirin. Likewise, their ferritin level suffered a “larger overall decline of 11.5% compared to the placebo group” when measured in the third year. “I’low dose aspirin increased anemia and decreased ferritin in otherwise healthy older adults, regardless of bleeding. A periodic monitoring of hemoglobin should be considered in the elderly on aspirin concluded the study authors.