By Lynn Allison From Newsmax

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A study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that adults 65 years and older who took a daily low dose aspirin were 20% more likely to develop anemia. Anemia is a prevalent problem among seniors, contributing to fatigue, memory and thinking problems, depression, and an increased risk for death.

According to CNN, studies show that 30% of adults 75 years and older worldwide are anemic. Aspirin, one of the most used medications in the U.S., is taken by more than 40% of adults ages 60 years and older to prevent dangerous blood clots that could lead to a heart attack or stroke. Experts have cautioned that taking aspirin daily could increase the risk of major bleeding that can outweigh the potential cardiovascular benefits. However, it is still recommended for people who have had a heart attack or stroke, to prevent further episodes.

The researchers of the new study set out to determine if aspirin could also cause less severe blood loss that could lead to anemia, or reduced oxygen in the blood. More than 18,000 adults 65 years and older in the U.S. and Australia participated in the study. Half of the study subjects took 100 milligrams of aspirin daily, which is considered a low dose, while the second group took a placebo. The researchers followed them for five years, taking annual blood tests for hemoglobin and ferritin, a protein in blood cells that stores iron.

The difference between the groups was clear. The participants who took daily aspirin were 20% more likely to be anemic than those who took the placebo. The researchers also estimated that 24% of the seniors in the daily aspirin group would develop anemia in five years, compared to 20% in the placebo group.

While the study didn’t examine why aspirin caused anemia, they theorized that since aspirin helps prevent blood from clotting, it keeps platelets from sticking together. By doing this, it blocks an enzyme called COX-1, which helps maintain the lining of the stomach and intestines. When this protective barrier is compromised, small amounts of blood can leak out of the gut over time, eventually causing anemia.

While the researchers said they noticed this effect in a variety of people, regardless of their underlying health, they did suggest that the risk of anemia is of greater concern for individuals who already have other risks for the condition, such as arthritis or chronic renal insufficiency.

Their advice to doctors was to monitor patients’ hemoglobin levels if they have risk factors for anemia, including daily aspirin use.

“We knew from a large clinical trial that daily low-dose aspirin increased the risk of clinically significant bleeding,” study author Dr. Zoe McQuilten, of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia told MedPage Today. “From our study we found that low-dose aspirin also increased the risk of developing anemia during the trial and this was most likely due to bleeding that was not clinically apparent.”

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