A new study conducted in the UK and published in Gut found blood detected in stool is associated with an increased risk of death from a wide range of causes, not just colorectal cancer.
The researchers studied data from 134,192 men and women, aged 50 to 74 years, who took a guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBt) between March 29, 2000 and March 29, 2016.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The researchers found patients with a high fFOBt result had a higher risk of dying from colorectal cancer compared to those with negative test results.
2. However, a positive gFOBt result was associated with a higher risk of dying from respiratory, circulatory, digestive, neuropsychological, blood and endocrine diseases, after adjusting for medications that increase the risk for gastrointestinal bleeding, as well as factors such as age, sex and deprivation.
3. The researchers said a positive test result could be used to alert patients of the risk for other diseases.
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