Recent contraceptive pills could increase blood-clotting risk, FDA report

Blood clotting in women could be linked to intake of Yaz and other birth control pills which contains synthetic hormone drospirenone, says a study funded by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

FDA published on its website that those women who take newer oral contraceptives are at 1 1⁄2 times higher risk of suffering the side effects than women who are on the older contraceptive pills.

The proclamation made by FDA on its official website says, "The FDA is informing the public that it has not yet reached a conclusion, but remains concerned, about the potential increased risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing birth control pills,’’

FDA teams up with health advisory committees
While increasing number of women in the U.S. are enduring blood coagulation problem, a condition in which semisolid mass is formed in blood, FDA conducted a study in which 800,000 women participated.

FDA has scheduled a meeting sometime in December with Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to work on the issue.

Since a number of studies, giving safety measures on contraceptives, have been published in the recent past; FDA’s meeting will look into conflicting opinions derived from all the studies so that a conclusion could be made at the earliest.

Birth control pills like Yasmin face condemnation
Yasmin contraceptive pills, which Berlex Labs began marketing in 2001 was preceded by Yaz and both the pills contain synthetic hormone drospirenone. Ocella from Teva is another popular pill available in market along with other generic versions of birth control pills.

Berlex Labs was bought by Bayer Healthcare, the company which is sued by thousands over health issues. Many suits even claim that patients have succumbed to side effects caused by wrong medicines prescribed to them.

Earlier, birth control pills, especially Yasmin, had been condemned heavily by a non-profit organization called Public Citizen. Michael Carome of Public Citizen welcomed FDA’s move and said yesterday that, "Obviously, the fact that the FDA has put this on its agenda shows that they’re taking it seriously,’’