The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada says two studies suggesting a higher risk of venous thromboembolism among women taking Yaz and Yasmin were flawed and that the pills carry the same risk as other birth control drugs on the market.

Yaz and Yasmin are considered “fourth-generation” oral contraceptives. They contain drospirenone, a unique progestin that blocks the effects of male hormones in the body, reducing acne and premenstrual weight gain.

More than two million prescriptions for the pills were filled in Canada in 2009, according to prescription drug tracking firm IMS Brogan.

“Recent contradictory evidence and the ensuing media coverage of the venous thromboembolism risk attributed to the progestin component of certain newer oral contraceptive products have led to fear and confusion about the safety of oral contraceptives in general and drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives in particular,” the gynecologists group says in an updated practice guideline issued to its members.

“We were concerned that it was going to generate another pill scare like the ones we’ve seen in the past,” said principal author Dr. Robert Reid, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

In 1995, the United Kingdom’s Committee on Safety of Medicines issued a drug alert warning that “third-generation” pills containing gestodene or desogestrel — two other progestins — caused a twofold increase in blood clot risk compared to older formulations. Prescriptions dropped: according to an article published in the journal Human Reproduction, there were 10,000 more abortions and 30,000 more conceptions than expected in the nine months following the alert.

Venous thromboembolism — or VTE —_is a rare but potentially serious condition in which a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the legs or pelvis. Clots can break away and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism — a medical emergency in which the clot lodges in an artery, blocking blood flow to the lungs.

Obesity and smoking increases the risk of VTE. So do birth control pills: the overall risk is five in 10,000 for women who don’t take the pill, and nine to 10 per 10,000 for pill users.

The risk for VTE in pregnancy can be as high as 29 per 10,000 women, Reid’s group says.

A Dutch study published in the British Medical Journal last year reported a sixfold greater risk of venous thrombosis in women taking Yasmin versus other birth control pills. But Reid said the difference wasn’t statistically significant because the number of women using Yasmin in the study was small, making the risk estimates unreliable.

A European surveillance study sponsored by Bayer Inc., makers of Yasmin and Yaz, that followed nearly 60,000 new users of various birth control pills found no difference in blood clot rates between Yasmin and Yaz and other birth control pills on the market.

Reid said it’s believed that it’s the estrogen dose that’s primarily responsible for blood clots. The first birth control pills contained 150 micrograms of estrogen. Most pills on the market today contain 35 micrograms or less.

“The trade-off is that, as you lower the dose of estrogen, you start to get more spotting. Women get fed up with it and they become non-compliant — they stop using the pill and then they run a risk of getting pregnant, which has a much higher risk of blood clot than any pill,” Reid says.

“When the 1995 pill scare happened in the U.K., all those extra pregnancies put women at much greater risk for blood clots.”

Reid said blood clots remain one of the leading causes of death in pregnancy in developed countries.

“The message is that being pregnant carries a much higher risk of blood clot than birth control pills,” Reid said. “Most pills available today are highly effective and safe. Every woman needs to understand that there is a risk of a blood clot but that this risk is low.”

Symptoms include pain or swelling in the leg, or severe, progressive headaches which can be a sign of a stroke.

A lawyer for Siskinds LLP, which has launched a class-action against Bayer, said women do appear to have been “adversely impacted” while using the pills.

“We’ve been contacted by somewhere between 70 and 100 women who have had to have surgery to remove their gallbladders, probably another 50 or so who have experienced pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis (and) a couple dozen who have had heart issues,” said lawyer Matthew Baer.

The firm launched a Facebook page in October. “Close to 2,000 people have signed up for updates,” Baer said.

Twitter.com/sharon_kirkey

http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Doctors+fear+pill+scare+arising+from+birth+control+class+action/4090987/story.html

The Salt Lake Tribune

First published Jan 12 2011 11:42AM
Updated Jan 12, 2011 08:42PM

After a three-day stint in the hospital, state Sen. Curt Bramble was released late Tuesday night after undergoing a series of blood tests that determined he was suffering from blood clots related to deep vein thrombosis.

The Provo Republican said he experienced difficulty breathing Saturday night and was admitted to the emergency room at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where he said he eventually passed out.

Bramble said all of the tests have come back negative, and he said he doesn’t expect the diagnosis to slow him down when the legislative session begins Jan. 24.

“I expect to answer the opening bell when we convene,” Bramble said.

Deep vein thrombosis, according to the National Institutes of Health, is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep inside the body — usually in the lower leg or thigh. The danger is a blood clot could loosen and travel to the lung, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. Bramble said he may have to be on blood thinners to help combat the clotting.

According to PreventDVT.org, more than 2 million Americans are diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, and an estimated 300,000 people are admitted each year with a first-time diagnosis.

The 57-year-old Bramble said he had been flying “quite a bit” over the past two months and doctors told him flying can exacerbate deep vein thrombosis. He said doctors have not restricted him from flying now, but he said he has to be careful not to sit still for long periods of time and to avoid dehydration.

He said the experience caught him by surprise.

Bramble was supposed to make a presentation before the Senate Republican caucus Monday but bowed out due to his illness and kept the details of the hospital stay to a small circle of family and friends.

His name has been floated by several lawmakers as the one to lead the way on carrying a comprehensive immigration reform bill — a task he says he would still be up to in spite of his medical problem.

“I will manage some challenges with the blood clots, but every test came back negative, and I appear to be in very good health,” Bramble said.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51036380-76/blood-bramble-deep-vein.html.csp

1:10pm Wednesday 8th December 2010

By Andy Rutherford – Health correspondent

TWO health projects in Gwent are offering patients better protection against potentially fatal blood clots.

Patients booked for surgery in the area’s hospitals are having their risk of developing a blood clot individually evaluated, based on issues such as family history of DVT (deep vein thrombosis), obesity, and use of oral contraceptives.

And stroke patients in Gwent will benefit from faster access to vital clot-busting drugs, through Wales-wide investment in telemedicine equipment.

The risk assessment project is backed by thrombosis charity Lifeblood Wales, which is urging patients to play their part by asking questions of medical staff regarding DVT risk and measures to reduce it.

DVT is the most common form of blood clot, often happening when people have sat or lain in the same position for some time.

“Thousands of patients die each year from DVT acquired in hospital, yet there are many simple measures that can greatly reduce the risk,” said Dr Simon Noble, of the Royal Gwent Hospital.

“We are ensuring all patients are properly risk assessed before or on admission, to prevent or reduce the possibility of a blood clot.”

DVT can be prevented by wearing leg stockings, taking small daily doses of blood-thinning medication, and simple exercises.

Another problem is pulmonary embolism, where a clot travels around the body and reaches the heart and lungs. It kills an estimated 25,000 people a year.

Meanwhile, Assembly funding of £350,000 will provide 13 portable telemedicine units, two of which are for Gwent, to enable stroke specialists to give ‘virtual’ assessments via video camera and screen, of patients many miles away.

Specialists will be able to make speedier decisions on the need and appropriateness of thrombolysis, or clot-busting treatment, to break up blood clots in the brain.

Patients must be assessed for thrombolysis inside three hours of a suspected stroke.

Portable equipment will be particularly useful in assessing patients in rural areas, where travel times to hospital are greater.

SEE FULL ARTICLE – http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/gwentnews/8725636.print/

]]> http://www.clotamin.com/sitefiles/gwent-projects-to-help-cut-blood-clot-deaths/feed 0 http://www.clotamin.com/sitefiles/aspirin-what-are-the-risks-and-benefits http://www.clotamin.com/sitefiles/aspirin-what-are-the-risks-and-benefits#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:35:08 +0000 mbarch http://www.clotamin.com/sitefiles/?p=597 Taking a small dose of aspirin every day has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer. So what is aspirin and what are the risks and benefits?

What is aspirin?

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a drug that has been used for many years as a painkiller. It has an anti-inflammatory action, and is used to relieve headache, menstrual pain and muscle aches. It costs 1p a tablet.

How does it work?

It works by helping to prevent blood clots forming in the blood vessels, by stopping cells in the blood known as platelets from sticking together and clogging an artery.

How can it prevent disease?

Aspirin lowers the risk of a blood clot forming in the arteries of the heart or brain, thereby reducing the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

What is the evidence that it can prevent cancer?

There is considerable evidence suggesting aspirin can reduce the risk of getting or dying from many different types of cancer. Early studies suggested the benefits come from taking high doses of aspirin.

The latest work suggests even small doses – 75mg – can reduce the risk of cancer when taken for at least five years.

See full article – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11936078?print=true

Who should take aspirin?

Anyone considering taking aspirin is advised to talk to their doctor first as aspirin can affect health in other ways, such as increasing the chances of bleeding from the gut.

Source: Patient UK/Cancer Research UK

But, the majority of the UK’s 25,000 DVT fatalities every year occur in hospital after operations.

So, I was concerned by the Parliamentary Thrombosis Group’s report last week, which claimed that two in three hospitals fail to protect their patients from DVT.

Nhs guidelines say a risk assessment should be carried out on 90% of patients before surgery, so those at high risk can be provided with compression stockings or preventive education. But only a third do this, says the report.

So is there anything you can do to reduce your risk? Clots are more likely after operations because you’re far less mobile and also because your body’s clotting mechanism is on high alert after the “injury”.

The biggest danger is that the clot breaks off from the legs and travels to your lungs, blocking one of the main blood vessels. This is known as a pulmonary embolism and can be fatal.

You may be at increased risk if you’re having a long operation or are immobile for at least three days. Over-40s, smokers, overweight patients and those who have had DVT, a stroke or heart disease are at increased risk. Don’t wait for an assessment – ask the doctor in advance about what you can do to reduce your risk.

You should always stop smoking several weeks before an operation and you may be advised to stop taking the contraceptive pill or HRT.

Ask if you’ll need compression stockings and what exercises you should do before and after.

Know what symptoms to look out for. Any swelling in the lower leg or pain or discomfort in a calf muscle, especially if it gets worse when you straighten your leg and pull your toes up, should be reported to staff without hesitation.

See full article – http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/miriam/2010/12/07/avoid-the-dvt-hospital-danger-115875-22767188/

MRG’s US Markets for Clot Management Devices 2011 report provides important insight into the device-based treatments of deep vein thrombosis and the complex competitive dynamics of medical device manufacturers in this field. The report also provides market analyses for devices that treat arteriovenous, peripheral artery, coronary, and neurovascular thrombosis, including five-year forecasts, up-to-date market shares, and in-depth qualitative insights.  Market analysis is provided for product segments including thrombectomy devices, thrombolytic infusion catheters, inferior vena cava filters, and neurovascular embolectomy devices.

“We were able to leverage the results of the physician survey that we conducted this year—Venous Interventions: The Rise of Venous Stenting and Aggressive Deep-Vein Thrombosis Treatment—to gather additional insight on how physicians expect their use of the different device-based treatments to change over the forecast period,” says Stephanie LaBelle, Manager of the Cardiovascular division at MRG.  ”A lack of awareness among referring physicians is a major roadblock to increasing the number of interventions in the venous system. However, more facilities are beginning to implement screening processes for high-risk deep-vein thrombosis patients, and awareness of newer treatment options is growing.  The use of pharmacomechanical thrombectomy systems for deep vein thrombosis removal is gaining a lot of attention and, as a result, we expect to see high growth in this segment of the market through 2015.”

Link – http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/millennium-research-group-to-release-their-latest-us-clot-management-data-111440174.html

APS is an autoimmune disease in which bacteria and virus-fighting immune system cells attack healthy body tissues and organs, according to the National Institutes of Health. As a result, abnormal blood clotting occurs.

For this study, the investigators examined the actions of APS antibodies on cultured endothelial cells, which line the inside of blood vessels. The scientists found that blood clot-inducing antibodies recognize a protein called Beta2-Glycoprotein I on the surface of endothelial cells. This surface then interacts with apolipoprotein E receptor (apoER2) – a second protein – which inactivates the production of antithrombotic molecule nitric oxide. In turn, the decrease in nitric oxide initiates thrombosis.

By using mice models, the researchers also found that mice who are genetically predisposed to lack apoER2 can be protected from suffering blood clots when given APS antibodies.

Dr. Chieko Mineo, co-author of the study, said that in addition to these findings, the mechanisms that have been identified which promote thrombosis also occur “in APS during pregnancy to adversely affect the health of both the mother and the fetus.”

The scientists said they are hopeful that this discovery will lead to new therapies to help prevent blood clotting as well as pregnancy complications among APS patients.

See full article: http://www.betterhealthresearch.com/news/experts-mechanism-found-that-causes-blood-clots-in-some-patients-800277948/

Our friends at Adirondack Cardiology continue to support Clotamin. They have over 1200 people in their Coumadin clinic and they are currently giving out samples to all their patients. They are really impressed with the fact that Clotamin does not impact their patients INRs.

In the News

• In the news this week, we came across an article that alleges Johnson & Johnson is facing more heat over its Ortho Evra birth control patch. According to an NBC News report, internal documents indicate that the drug maker may have known about Ortho Evra’s blood clot risks years before they were made known to the public, and perhaps even before it came to market. Read this Article.
• Also, another interesting article in Business Week on antipsychotics being linked to blood clots. The study authors found that people who took antipsychotic drugs in the two years before developing a deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism had a 32 percent increased risk of developing the conditions compared with those not taking these drugs. Read this Article.

Another Great Comment

Gave copies of all my documentation to my Orthopedic surgeon. He had to repair a dislocated rotator cuff. Everything went well and my clotting factor was fine. No problems. My pro-time has been perfect and clotting has been normal. Thanks again for the clotamin. Keep up the good work.
- Suzanne R. in Birmingham , AL

Please keep you comments coming…

More alarming is the number of young girls getting DVT and PE from birth control because their prescribing physicians failed to ask about genetic risk factors such as Factor V Lieden. We’d like to share the story about two of our friends, Katie Anderson and Tara Jones. These young women almost lost their lives because their doctors failed to understand their risks and the danger of birth control when you have Thrombophilia.

If you or a loved one is considering going on birth control or switching birth control, please make sure they understand the genetic risk factors. If you have a family history of DVT, PE, Stroke, Heart Attack, these all can be warning signs. There are almost no public service messages addressing this issue and it’s up to all of us to help spread the word.

Please continue to share your stories and comments. Thanks again for supporting Clotamin and please see the below links to Katie and Tara’s stories.

• KEEPING UP WITH MYSELF: Editor has near-death experience from birth control pills, blood disorder
• With Birth Control Pills, New Isn’t Always Better

Sincerely,
Mackie Barch
Owner/Founder of Clotamin

Reports Cite Risks of Blood-Clot Devices