Daily use of low-dose aspirin may increase anemia risk in healthy older adults: study

Long-term use of low-dose aspirin is associated with a 20% increased risk of developing anemia and a decline in blood iron levels in older adults, according to a new analysis of a National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial. The report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine revealed that a group of 19,114 healthy adults at least 65 years old were randomly assigned to take 100mg of aspirin or a placebo to determine the effect of low-dose aspirin on incident anemia, hemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations. The participants were monitored annually for hemoglobin concentration and three years after the baseline measurement for ferritin, a blood protein that contains iron. At the end of the trial, researchers from Australia, New Zealand and the United States determined that taking low-dose aspirin on a daily basis appeared to increase anemia and reduce the levels of ferritin and hemoglobin. The results were independent of major bleeding. Learn more