The risk of death after stroke may be higher in people with anaemia, a new study has found.

Anaemia is a condition caused by a lack of red blood cells. This means that the body's tissues and organs cannot get enough oxygen. General symptoms can include tiredness, dizziness, palpitations and a pale complexion.

Scottish researchers studied data relating to over 8,000 people who had been admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke between 2003 and 2015. The average age of the patients was 77.

They assessed the impact of anaemia and haemoglobin levels on death rates up to one year following a stroke. Haemoglobin is the protein molecule found in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body and low levels are common in older people

The study found that around one in four patients already had anaemia when they were admitted to hospital and this was associated with a higher risk of stroke-related death for up to one year.

Higher haemoglobin levels were also linked with a higher risk of death and poorer outcomes overall, which means that both high and low levels of haemoglobin are a cause for concern among stroke patients.

"We found that the likelihood of dying from ischemic stroke (the most common type of stroke) is about two times higher in people with anaemia compared to those without it, and the risk of death from heamorrhagic stroke is about 1.5 times higher. So there's the potential for a much poorer outcome if somebody comes in with stroke and they're also anaemic," commented the study's senior author, Prof Phyo Myint, of the University of Aberdeen.

The researchers also used 20 previous studies to conduct one large study by compiling data on almost 30,000 stroke patients from a number of countries. This gave a clearer picture of the impact of anaemia on stroke death rates.

They believe that their findings show the need for better interventions for stroke patients with anaemia.

"One example of an intervention might be treating the underlying causes of anaemia, such as iron deficiency, which is common in this age group. As the study has convincingly demonstrated, anaemia does worsen the outcome of stroke, so it is very important that we identify at-risk patients and optimise the management," the researchers added.

Details of these findings are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.