Product News and Recalls

Studies find higher risk with newer contraceptives

A story in U.K. newspaper The Mirror concerns the higher risk of “third-generation” contraceptive pills, compared to ones that have been on the market for longer.

It concerns two different studies by the Boston University School of Medicine into two different types of birth control. The results were published in the British Medical Journal.

The studies concluded that “the difference in threat was dramatic” between older oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel and relatively recent ones with the synthetic hormone drospirenone.

The story says drospirenone has long been connected with a risk of potentially fatal blood clots in the deep veins of the legs and the pelvis.

Pills with drospirenone include Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz and Ocella.

In one study, researchers looking at US medical claims data found a two-fold increased risk of a blood clot with pills containing drospirenone compared to the older levonorgestrel tablets, the article said.

The second study, drawing on information from the UK General Practice Research Database, found a three-fold increased risk.

According to the article, the study concluded: “As no clear evidence exists to show the drospirenone pill confers benefits above those of other oral contraceptives in preventing pregnancy, treating acne, or alleviating PMS, prescribing lower risk levonorgestrel oral contraceptive as the first-line choice would seem prudent.”

Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with a Beyaz lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries while on Beyaz or similar birth control pills.

See the story here:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/third-generation-version-of-contraceptive-pill-124035