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Women 'not using safest pill brands'
14 Aug 2009Too many women are not using the safest brands of the Pill, studies out today suggest.
All types of the combined pill increase the risk of venous thrombosis but some carry higher risks than others, they said.
Venous thrombosis includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the leg or arm and pulmonary embolism.
The first study published today found women taking pills containing a progestogen called levonorgestrel (for example, Microgynon) had the lowest risk of thrombosis.
Meanwhile, those on contraceptives containing desogestrel (for example, Mercilon or Marvelon) had the highest risk.
Current advice from the NHS is that women should be on pills containing levonorgestrel but today's research highlights that many may not be.
A total of 1,524 women who had suffered a thrombosis were followed for the study, led by experts at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.
All the women were aged under 50, were not pregnant and had not given birth in the previous month.
Of the group, which had an average age of 37, 859 had suffered a deep vein thrombosis of the leg, 495 had had a pulmonary embolism and 111 had had both.
Another 59 had suffered DVT in their arm.
Of the total group, 72% (1,103) women had been on the Pill at the time they suffered their thrombosis.
The results showed that taking the Pill increased the risk of suffering thrombosis fivefold compared with women not on the Pill.
The results held true even when factors like family history of disease and body weight were taken into account.
The researchers found that women taking levonorgestrel had an almost fourfold increased risk of suffering venous thrombosis compared with women not on the Pill.
Those on gestodene (for example, Femodette) had an almost sixfold increased risk, while those on desogestrel had a risk that was more than sevenfold.
Women taking a pill with norgestimate (for example, Cilest) had an almost sixfold extra risk as did those on drospirenone (for example, Yasmin).
Those taking a drug containing cyproterone acetate (for example, Dianette, which is often prescribed for acne) had an almost sevenfold additional risk.
When women on different pills were compared with those on a pill containing levonorgestrel, the researchers found women on gestodene, desogestrel, cyproterone acetate and drospirenone all had a higher risk.
A group of 1,760 healthy women acted as controls for the study.
Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the authors concluded: "Currently available oral contraceptives still have a major impact on thrombosis occurrence and many women do not use the safest brands with regard to risk of venous thrombosis."
The first report on the risk of DVT linked to the Pill appeared in 1961.
Since then, the levels of oestrogen in the Pill have been reduced to help cut the risks.
Today's research found that those pills with the highest doses of oestrogen also carried higher risks of venous thrombosis.
The safest option is an oral contraceptive containing levonorgestrel combined with a low dose of oestrogen, the authors said.
In a BMJ editorial to accompany today's research, Dr Nick Dunn, of the University of Southampton, said venous thrombosis is one of the Pill's most serious side effects.
"Although it is rare, it can cause death in about 1-2% of all cases of venous thromboembolism in women taking the Pill," he said.
But he said the risk was low enough that some women may still favour one Pill over another.
Lynn Hearton, helpline and information services manager at the Family Planning Association (FPA), said: "The study reaffirms what we already know and that all brands of the pill are very safe.
"Although the combined pill does slightly increase the risk of thrombosis, the risk is still really low."
Reader views (1)
Thats interesting that the safest pill microgynon 30 in also the least expensive for GP's to prescribe. A pal of mine was left deaf in one ear after a thrombosis at 25yrs of age after taking yasmin.
- Hilary, london, 14/08/2009 07:51
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