[Upper digestive tract findings in elderly patients with iron-deficiency anemia. A comparison between users and non-users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs].

BACKGROUND

Iron-deficiency anemia is common in the elderly. Chronic upper gastrointestinal bleeding is its most frequent cause. The use of non-steroidal antinflammatory drugs (NSAID) is common in older people. Gastrointestinal complications of NSAID may be also more frequent among the elderly.

AIMS: The study was aimed to evaluate if a history of regular NSAID use in elderly patients with iron-deficiency anemia is associated to characteristic findings on esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A total of 91 patients (40% of males and 60% females) older than 65 years (mean age 77 years, range 65-90 years) entered the study. All of them had been admitted to our Hospital for study of iron-deficiency anemia. Thirty-eight patients were regular users of NSAID. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed in all patients.

RESULTS

The prevalences of peptic ulcer, erosive gastritis/duodenitis, and esophagitis were similar in NSAID users and non-users (13 vs 11%, 18 vs 15%, and 26 vs 26%, respectively). A trend to a higher prevalence of gastric adenocarcinoma was observed the group of NSAID non-users (8% vs 23%, p = 0.05). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was entirely normal in 39% of NSAID users and 34% of NSAID non-users.

CONCLUSIONS

Upper gastrointestinal lesions in elderly patients with iron-deficiency anemia are similar in NSAID users and non-users, with the exception of gastric adenocarcinoma which can be more common in NSAID non-users.