In an October 2011 British Medical Journal article entitled “Risk of venous thromboembolism from use of oral contraceptives containing different progestogens and oestrogen doses: Danish cohort study, 2001-2009.”, the authors found that birth control pills like YAZ, YASMIN or OCELLA which contain drospirenone or oral contraceptives containing a third generation progestins put women at two times the risk of developing venous thromboembolism when compared to women using birth control pills containing levonorgstrel, a second generation progestin. The study drew upon data from four registries in Denmark and studied non pregnant women ages 15-49 from January 2001 to December 2009 containing 8,010,290 women years of observation.
In a November 7, 2011 Canadian Medical Association Journal, (www.cmaj.ca) Dr. Naomi Gronich reported the findings of her study of drospirenone containing second and third generation oral contraceptives and its relationship to risks of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, concluding: “Use of drospirenone containing oral contraceptives was associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism but not transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular attack.” This study examined women in Israel from ages 12 to 50 for whom combined oral contraceptives had been dispensed between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2008.
If you are a YAZ, YASMIN or OCELLA user containing drospirenone you may wish to talk with your doctor. If you or a loved one has suffered a pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) you may wish to consult one of the YAZ lawyers at the Brandi Law Firm.