Federation Internationale de Gynecolgie et d'Obstetrique (FIGO)
World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics
Press release Thursday, August 7
Oral Contraceptives and Thrombotic Diseases
The risk of thrombotic diseases (venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction and thrombotic stroke) by use of oral contraceptives (OCs) has generally declined with the reduction in oestrogen dose.
One and a half years ago, new studies suggested that OCs with so called 3rd generation progestagens (desogestrel or gestodene) increased the risk of venous thromboembolism about twice as much as the older OCs with 2nd generation progestagens (levonorgestrel). Warnings against OCs with 3rd generation progestagens were sent out by health authorities in The United Kingdom, Germany and Norway as a consequence of these scientific messages.
New epidemiological data presented at the FIGO 97 Congress has shown that the risk of venous thromboembolism among users of OCs with 3rd generation progestagens as compared with users of OCs with 2nd generation progestagens, may be less than initially reported.
The risk of the arterial complications; Myocardial infarction and thrombotic stroke, seems to be lower among users of OCs with 3rd generation progestagens as compared with users of OCs with 2nd generation progestagens. The arterial complications have generally more serious clinical consequences (death or significant disability) than the venous diseases.
According to the new results an overall risk assessment including venous as well as arterial complications indicates that use of OCs with 2nd generation progestagens may actually imply more diseases, deaths and disability from total circulatory disease than use of OCs with 3rd generation progestagens.
It is therefore a tenable position that warnings which were based solely on venous thromboembolic risk against OCs with 3rd generation progestagens may prove to have been premature.
John Guillebaud, UK Ojvind Lidegaard, DK Sven Olaf Skluby, DK
CONTACT:
E-mail: [email protected]
+45 3946 0515
RSS