About 9% of women of reproductive age use oral contraceptives. Now, a study published by the British Medical Journal offers new evidence confirming the link between new birth control pills and an increased risk of serious blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism ). The research has been developed by scientists at the University of Nottingham (UK).
The risk of clots related to the use of oral contraceptives is not new . However, this new study shows that the newer pills that are currently being dispensed in pharmacies (with drospirenone, desogestrel, gestiondeno, and cyproterone) have a much greater association with venous thromboembolism or VTE than the older progestin-containing pills (such as levonorgestrel). and norethisterone), specifically the study highlights that the risk of the new pills is 1.5 to 1.8 times higher . Comparing women who did not use oral contraceptives with those who did, the risk of VTE was four times higher for the latter.
In absolute numbers, the scientists found that for every 10,000 women treated, the percentage of VTE cases was much lower for those taking older pills and higher for those using the newer component pills (14 more women).
“Oral contraceptives are very safe and the increased risk of VTE in women who use oral contraceptives is still small, so they should not stop using them, but they should consult their doctor and check their type of pill at their next appointment if there is some concern ”, explains Yana Vidogradova, leader of the study.
Despite being an observational study , “it has sufficient statistical power and adjustment for relevant confounding factors to be considered an important clarification study”, clarifies Vidogradova.
