Low Plasma Iron Levels Associated to Drug Treatment in Polymedicated Patients: A Case-Control Study
R. Lozano *
Pharmacy Department, Hospital Real de Nuestra Señora de Gracia, Zaragoza, Spain.
A. Frutos
Pharmacy Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario “Lozano Blesa”, Zaragoza, Spain.
A. Apesteguía
Pharmacy Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario “Lozano Blesa”, Zaragoza, Spain.
A Martinez
Pharmacy Department, Centro de Rehabilitación Psicosocial de Nuestra Señora Del Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain.
M. E. Franco
Haematology Department, Hospital Real de Nuestra Señora De Gracia, Zaragoza, Spain.
M. A. Alcazar
Pharmacy Department, Hospital Real de Nuestra Señora de Gracia, Zaragoza, Spain.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: To identify the drug class and/or duration of treatments causing hyposideremia.
Study Design: Retrospective case-control study.
Place and Duration of Study: Departments of Internal Medicine and Pharmacy, Aragón Health Services Services Hospital Real de Nuestra Señora de Gracia, between January 2019 and December 2019.
Methodology: The records of prescripted medicines of all patients admitted to Internal Medicine service, for various indications, along a 1-year period (2019), which were ultimately analized according to association with hyposideremia.
Results: It was identified several drugs associated with low plasma iron levels: acetylcysteine and apixaban, which would increase the risk of hyposideremia. On the contrary, we found that allopurinol, duloxetine and simvastatin would protect against the appearance of hyposideremia.
Conclusion: Acetylcysteine and apixaban, alone or in combination with different pathologies, would be capable of inducing, and on dependence of the duration of treatment and/or of the concomitant pathology, hyposideremia, iron deficiency and, in certain cases, anemia constituting a major health problem.
Keywords: Anemia, elderly, iron, polypharmacy, side effects, sideremia