NuvaRing Contraceptive Vaginal Ring Associated With Blood Clots In Arteries That Might Cause Thrombotic Strokes And Myocardial Infarctions (MI)
(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)
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(12/11/13)
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A Danish study published in June 2012 by The New England of Medicine shows that a woman's use of the NuvaRing birth control product can produce arterial clots leading to a blood-clot related stroke or heart attack / myocardial infarction (MI).
From the Abstract for this new medical study, "Thrombotic Stroke and Myocardial Infarction with Hormonal Contraception":
Background Although several studies have assessed the risk of venous thromboembolism with newer hormonal contraception, few have examined thrombotic stroke and myocardial infarction, and results have been conflicting.
Methods In this 15-year Danish historical cohort study, we followed nonpregnant women, 15 to 49 years old, with no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. Data on use of hormonal contraception, clinical end points, and potential confounders were obtained from four national registries.
Results A total of 1,626,158 women contributed 14,251,063 person-years of observation, during which 3311 thrombotic strokes (21.4 per 100,000 person-years) and 1725 myocardial infarctions (10.1 per 100,000 person-years) occurred…. As compared with nonuse, current use [of a vaginal ring / the NuvaRing] was associated with the following relative risks (and 95% confidence intervals) for thrombotic stroke and myocardial infarction, [2.5 (1.4 to 4.4) and 2.1 (0.7 to 6.5)].
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An important additional point came from a comment made by one of the study's authors in this June 13, 2012 news report, "Birth Control That Uses Combined Hormones Raises Heart Risk: Study.Overall odds of heart attack and stroke, however, are still low":
"The first point to take home is that [clotting] complications increase dramatically with increasing age," said lead author Dr. Ojvind Lidegaard, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Rigshospitalet, a state-run hospital in Copenhagen. "A doubled risk for thrombotic stroke is not very serious when you are 20 years old, because your risk at baseline is very low. On the other hand, when you are 35 years old or older, the risk is no longer that low, and you should be more careful with choosing those products with the lowest risk of thrombotic complications."
That same article by HealthDay reporter Maureen Salamon made this clarification:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in April that birth control pills containing drospirenone — a man-made version of the hormone progesterone included in products such as Bayer's Yaz or Yasmin — would require updated labels since these contraceptives may be linked to a higher risk of blood clots. That change pinpointed risks associated with blood clots in veins, however, while the new Danish study [about the NuvaRing] focuses on clot risks in arteries. [emphasis added]
We have been handling NuvaRing cases involving since 2007 and are looking forward to the first NuvaRing lawsuit trial scheduled to begin in February 2013.
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