The findings published in a 2011 edition of Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr. Gronich (et al.) performed a wide-scope population-based study to determine whether or not oral contraceptives containing the chemical drospirenone (such as YAZ®) placed women at a higher risk of developing a blood clot than did oral contraceptives without drospirenone.
For this study, the Gronich team used the digital health records databases of an Israeli healthcare provider to review 329,995 women who had not previously been diagnosed with a blood clot[1] and found that overall, the rate of blood clot development was about 6 in every 10,000 women, replicating the findings of Lidegaard (et al.) 2009, whose work is also summarized on this blog.
Compared to so-called second-generation oral contraceptives (levonogestrel and norgestrel), drospirenone use was found to place women at a 43% higher risk of blood clot.[2] And, compared to third-generation oral contraceptives desogestrel, gestodene, and norgestimate, drospirenone use was found to place women at a 65% higher risk of blood clot.[3]
Accordingly, the study concludes that “Use of drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives was associated with a significantly increased risk of venous thrombotic events (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) …”[4] The term “deep vein thrombosis” means blood clot in a large vein deep inside the body. “Pulmonary embolism” means a blood clot that has become mobile in the blood stream. Pulmonary embolism is indeed very dangerous, for if a traveling blood clot becomes lodged in the heart, one may have a heart attack, and if such a blood clot becomes lodged in the brain, one may have a stroke. Both these events are very serious and may be fatal.
Because of the striking findings it reports, a lawyer may use this article in a pharmaceutical lawsuit to demonstrate that women using drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives such as YAZ® are unduly placed at a higher risk of adverse health effects, for drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives are no more effective than other such contraceptives.
[1] Gronich, N., et al. (2011) “Higher risk of venous thrombosis associated with drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives: a population-based cohort study” Canadian Medical Association Journal 183(18); p. 3-4
[2] Gronich, N., et al. (2011) “Higher risk of venous thrombosis associated with drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives: a population-based cohort study” Canadian Medical Association Journal 183(18); p.4
[3] Ibid
[4] Gronich, N., et al. (2011) “Higher risk of venous thrombosis associated with drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives: a population-based cohort study” Canadian Medical Association Journal 183(18); p.5
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