About this trial
Anaemia is when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. It is common in women because they lose blood every month during their periods. Anaemia can womwn make feel tired, weak, dizzy and out of breath. It can also make it harder to study, work or look after their family. If woman become pregnant with anaemia, it can cause problems for both mother and baby, such as early birth or heavy bleeding when giving birth. It is best to treat anaemia in young women well before they get pregnant. Doctors treat anaemia with iron and vitamins. But some people get side effects when taking iron tablets and so they stop taking them. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a medicine used to treat heavy periods. The investigators of this study would like to find out if taking TXA with the usual iron and vitamin supplements is better at treating anaemia than taking iron and vitamin supplements alone. (Lay Summary)
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Adult women aged 18 years and older.
Currently menstruating, with menstrual periods occurring at least every 38 days and lasting ≥2 days.
Anaemia at screening, defined as hemoglobin (Hb) <120 g/L by point-of-care finger prick test.
Willing and able to provide informed consent.
Disqualifiers
Planning to get pregnant during the trial period
Already taking TXA
Known to have possible contraindications to TXA treatment (including allergy to TXA or its excipients, renal impairment, active thromboembolic disease, history of venous or arterial thrombosis, history of convulsion.)
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Tranexamic Acid 500 MG
- Placebo
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Lead sponsor
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Mbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences)
Collaborator
Coefficient Giving (Formerly Open Philanthropy)
Collaborator
Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University
Collaborator
Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University
Collaborator
University College Hospital, Ibadan
Collaborator
The Jon Moulton Charity Trust
Collaborator
University of Edinburgh
Collaborator