A June study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that a daily low-dose aspirin regimen can lead to an increase in anemia and a reduction in iron levels.
According to the study, taking 100 mg of aspirin daily led to an increase in incidents of anemia, which the National Institute of Health describes as "a condition that develops when your blood produces a lower-than-normal amount of healthy red blood cells," and could also reduce the amount of iron in the blood.
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The study, designed to investigate the effect of a low-dose aspirin regimen aside from a risk of an increase in major bleeding, randomly assigned 19,114 participants ages 70 and up in Australia and the United States either a 100 mg daily dose of aspirin or a placebo for a period of five years.
The results found an increased risk of anemia of 51.2 events per 1,000 person-years in the group given aspirin compared to an incidence rate of 42.9 per 1,000 person-years in the group given placebos.
The study also found that those given aspirin had a steeper decline in the blood’s hemoglobin concentration, attributed to a more significant reduction in the ferritin protein that stores iron among those taking the medication than those taking the placebo.
The NIH and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council funded the study.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a daily regimen of low-dose aspirin, 75-100 mg, may be prescribed by a doctor to help prevent a heart attack or stroke or used in individuals who have already had a cardiac event.
The protocol, however, could come with a risk of intestinal bleeding, the article said, and only a person's health care professional should begin such a regimen, especially for patients above age 60.
According to the Mayo Clinic, taking a daily low-dose aspirin regimen could be prescribed by a doctor if, "You're between ages 40 and 59 and you're at high risk of having a first-time heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years. High risk means your risk is 10% or greater, haven't had a heart attack, but you've had coronary bypass surgery or a stent placed in a heart artery, or you have chest pain called angina or any other medical condition where aspirin is proved to prevent heart attacks or stroke, if you're younger than 60 and you have diabetes and at least one other heart disease risk factor, such as smoking or high blood pressure."
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