The researchers found that women who use newer brands of contraceptive pills could be prone to the risk of dangerous blood clots by more than twice, in comparison to those using older types of pill. All brands of contraceptive pills raise the risk of developing blood clots, which can escort to deep vein thrombosis in leg or arm.
There is more than twice the risk depending on the kind of the hormone progestogen used in the product, revealed the US study that incorporated statistics from British general practices. Women should be prescribed low risk contraceptive pill as the first option.
The other factors which raise the risk of blood clots may include family history, smoking and being overweight, irrespective of the brand of the Pill. A study conducted by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found a double increased risk in non-fatal blood clots in women taking drospirenone-containing Pill like Yasmin in comparison to women using a levonorgestrel-based Pill like Microgynon.
For example if one lakh were on newer Pill for a year, there would be about thirty cases of blood clots in comparison to twelve in those taking older type of Pill. The other study analysis also found noticeably raised risk for women taking drospirenone-containing brands in comparison to those using levonorgestrel-containing pills.
They reported twenty-tree cases per one lakh on newer Pill, in comparison to nine using older Pill. A leading European study found no disparity in thrombosis rates between diverse types of Pill. All Pills carry a risk but it is deceptive to recommend some are less safe than others, explained Dr Anne Szarewski, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care.
She added that a family history of blood clots is most significant in evaluating a woman’s risk factors but she may be too young for this to have become evident. Other study also stresses the consequence of smoking and being overweight that doubles the risk.