INQUIRY TO HEAR FROM DIABETES ADVOCATES AND PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE

A parliamentary committee inquiry will hear from Diabetes Australia, the Australian Diabetes Society and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) at a public hearing on Tuesday 20 June 2023. The hearing will be held at Parliament House as part of the Health Committee’s inquiry into diabetes in Australia

The Chair of the Committee, Dr Mike Freelander MP, said: ‘The Hearing will be an opportunity for the Committee to hear from major peak bodies which each play a critical role in improving diabetes prevention, treatment and care, advocating for policies and funding around diabetes, and supporting Australians living with diabetes.’

‘The Committee looks forward to hearing evidence from these organisations, including about new advances in the prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes that may be emerging either in Australia or internationally’ stated Dr Freelander.

The Deputy Chair of the Committee, Mrs Melissa McIntosh MP, said: ‘The Committee will also hear from a 15-year-old girl in my community living with type 1 diabetes and her mother, about their personal experiences with this health condition that affects more than 130,000 Australians.’

‘Since my athletic and healthy 20-year-old son was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after having COVID-19, I am learning frsthand about the signifcant impacts that type 1 diabetes can have on people’s lives’, Mrs McIntosh said.

The Committee intends to hold more public hearings in due course. Interested parties are encouraged to make a submission to this inquiry by 31 August 2023

Further information about the Committee’s inquiry, including the full terms of reference and details on how to lodge a submission are available at the Committee’s website.

Low-dose aspirin may increase anaemia risk in healthy older adults: study

A new study analysing data from the landmark ASPREE trial has found that prolonged daily aspirin use increases the risk of anaemia by 20 per cent in people mostly aged 70 and over. The results have prompted researchers to suggest that regular monitoring for anaemia be considered for older adults who take lowdose aspirin, and if older adults have concerns about their health or medications they should discuss them with their GP.

The Monash University-led study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, followed 18,153 initially healthy older adults in Australia and the USA and recorded incidents of anaemia over an average 4.7 years.

The risk of developing anaemia was found to be 20 per cent higher in the aspirin group compared to those in the placebo group.

It was the largest study to investigate anaemia in older people as part of a randomised controlled trial, ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) – with half the participants taking a placebo and the other half a daily low dose (100mg) of aspirin.

Anaemia is commonly experienced by older adults, potentially affecting overall function and increasing fatigue, disabilities, depressive symptoms and cognitive problems.

In addition to a higher risk of anaemia, blood tests revealed a faster decline of haemoglobin and reduced ferritin (a protein that carries iron) levels in the aspirin group compared to the placebo group.

Lead author, Associate Professor Zoe McQuilten from Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said while bleeding was a known side-effect of aspirin, few previous studies had looked at the effect of prolonged aspirin use on the progressive development of anaemia in older adults.

“This study gives a clearer picture of the additional risk of becoming anaemic with aspirin use and the impact is likely to be greater in older adults with underlying diseases, such as kidney disease,” Associate Professor McQuilten said.

Associate Professor McQuilten said the new data gave doctors insight into the risk of anaemia from prolonged aspirin use by their older patients. “Older adults are more likely to become anaemic generally and now doctors can potentially identify patients at higher risk of developing anaemia,” she said.

Associate Professor McQuilten urged patients to follow the advice of their doctor about their daily use of aspirin. She cautioned that for some older adults, aspirin was recommended as a valuable therapy to prevent recurring heart attacks or stroke. “Patients should not change their aspirin regimen without speaking to their GP,” she said.

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