Many older people pop an aspirin every day as part of their regime to maintain a heathy heart—but the drug also increases the risk of anaemia.
Taking the drug every day for an extended period raises the chances of anaemia—or iron deficiency—by as much as 20 percent in the over-70s.
Researchers from Monash University in Australia say that older people taking aspirin are warned about stomach bleeding—but they should also be regularly monitored for anaemia.
They tracked the health of 18,153 older people in Australia and the USA for around five years and discovered that rates of anaemia were 20 percent higher in those who were regularly taking aspirin compared to others who were instead given a placebo. Blood tests also revealed a faster decline of haemoglobin and ferritin, proteins that carry oxygen and iron, in the aspirin group.
Anaemia can cause fatigue, depression, and cognitive decline, especially in older people.
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