South Middlesex Times

A recent study led by Rutgers Health suggests that administering more blood to anemic patients after a heart attack could potentially save lives. This research, published in NEJM Evidence, supports findings from 2023 indicating higher mortality rates and recurrent heart attacks among anemic patients who received fewer blood transfusions.

The study was spearheaded by Jeffrey L. Carson, provost and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Carson also led the 2023 MINT (myocardium infarction and transfusion) trial, which examined the effects of transfusions on anemic patients post-heart attack.

"The results of this analysis show that giving more blood to anemic patients with heart attacks can save lives at six months," stated Carson.

Following the 2023 trial, Carson initiated a study combining data from similar trials to provide more precise treatment effect estimates. Collaborating with researchers from France and the United States, Carson gathered data from four clinical trials involving 4,311 heart attack patients with low blood counts. The trials compared outcomes for patients receiving varying amounts of blood transfusions over periods of 30 days and six months.

The analysis suggested that while less frequent transfusions did not significantly increase death or heart attack risk at 30 days, they were associated with a higher risk of death at six months. In these trials, many participants had previous heart conditions such as heart failure or diabetes, and their average age was 72 years old with women making up 45% of the group.

Carson's work has been pivotal in shaping red blood cell transfusion strategies over nearly two decades. His efforts contributed to establishing guidelines in 2012 used by physicians for patient care decisions. These guidelines were updated last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association to emphasize personalized approaches considering underlying medical issues and patient preferences.

Both studies received funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute under the National Institutes of Health.