New Study Shows Yaz & Yasmin Have Higher Blood Clot Risk

The popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin have come under attack in the past few months for carrying a higher risk of blood clots than older versions. And while the FDA is still going over the data from its own study, a new study out of Israel found that women taking these newer birth control pills did indeed have a higher risk of developing a blood clot.

Yaz and Yasmin are "fourth-generation" birth control pills. They contain the synthetic hormone drospirenone, which medical experts believe is the cause of the higher risk of blood clots.

Based on the study of 330,000 Israeli women, researchers found that women taking birth control pills containing drospirenone were more likely than women taking second-generation and third-generation birth control pills to develop a blood clot, which could lead to a venous thromboembolism. The risk was as high as 65 percent with drospirenone-based birth control pills.

Venous thromboembolisms are blood clots that usually form in the veins of the leg, but that can travel to the lungs, brain, or heart, causing severe damage to the body or even death. Symptoms include leg pain or tenderness, swelling, changes in skin color, and increased warmth in the leg.

Each year, between eight and 10 women out of every 10,000 will experience blood clots while taking a drospirenone-containing birth control pill. In comparison, only six women out of every 10,000 will experience a blood clot while taking a second- or third-generation birth control pill.

Other risk factors for developing a blood clot include obesity, high blood pressure, age, and smoking. Beginning at age 25, the risk that a woman will experience a blood clot while taking birth control increases. Women over 35 who are smokers are advised against taking any form of birth control pills.

The FDA will meet December 8th at a joint meeting of the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to review study results and determine the best course of action for women taking birth control pills that contain drospirenone.

If you experienced a venous thromboembolism while taking a birth control pill that contained drospirenone, you deserve to know your legal rights. Call experienced dangerous drug attorney Kay Van Wey today at 214-329-1350 or 800-489-5082.