If you or anyone you care about takes meds for anemia, pay close attention – because the news on these things keeps getting worse.

A new study – the largest of its kind – found that the anemia drug Aranesp may significantly increase the risk of stroke in diabetics who suffer from kidney problems.

Ironic, since the goal of the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was to find out if this med could prevent those strokes, as well as heart disease and heart attacks.

The researchers also found that patients on the drug noticed only a slight improvement in fatigue, one of the hallmarks of anemia. With benefits like that, who needs side effects?

But the most remarkable thing about this study isn’t the results… it’s the fact that it was sponsored by Amgen, the drug’s maker. The study’s leader has consulted for the company, and two of its authors actually work for it.

It must have seemed like a safe bet at the time.

Bravo to this team for being unafraid to bite the hand that’s feeding it. The drug maker, for its part, says it will update the label to reflect this new risk.

That’s nothing new for them. For two years now, Amgen has had to put stronger and stronger warnings on the labels of three anemia drugs. It makes you think that a skull and crossbones might be better at this point.

If you’re anemic, go over your alternatives with your doctor. It’s entirely possible that careful management of your diet and nutrition can help reduce your need for meds – or even allow you to skip the pills altogether.

Don’t be tempted by an iron supplement as a quick solution – you’ll want to get your iron largely from natural dietary sources, including leafy green vegetables and red meat. Beef and chicken livers also have plenty of iron, along with pork, chicken and fish.

But all that iron in your food won’t help much if you’re not getting enough vitamin C. Believe it or not, C is just as important here because it helps your body to absorb all that dietary iron.

The B vitamins – including folic acid – and magnesium may also help your body fight off anemia.

As always, bring your doctor in on this one, because it’s difficult to find the right amounts and combinations on your own… and to know when its safe to consider getting off these meds before they do you some real harm.