Venous thromboembolic disease and combined oral contraceptives: A re-analysis of the Mediplus database

Todd, J.C., Lawrenson, R., Farmer, R.D., Williams, T.J. and Leydon, G.M. (1999) Venous thromboembolic disease and combined oral contraceptives: A re-analysis of the Mediplus database. Human Reproduction, 14 (6), 1500-1505. (doi:10.1093/humrep/14.6.1500). (PMID:10357966)

Abstract

In October 1995 the Committee on Safety of Medicines advised UK doctors and pharmacists that oral contraceptives containing desogestrel and gestodene were associated with double the risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) compared to pills containing other progestogens. In 1997 data was analysed from the MediPlus database of UK general practitioner records, which reported odds ratios for desogestrel and gestodene lower than that for levonorgestrel. Here the results of a more stringent nested case control analysis on the MediPlus database are reported. The study was larger and cases were verified. A crude incidence of idiopathic VTE was found amongst users of combined oral contraceptives of 4.6 per 10 000 exposed women years. Using levonorgestrel 150 ?g + ethinyloestradiol 30 ?g as reference, non-significant odds ratios of 1.1 (0.5–2.6) for desogestrel 150 ?g + ethinyloestradiol 30 ?g and 1.1 (0.5–2.4) for gestodene 75 ?g + ethinyloestradiol 30 ?g were found. The results of this study show no significant difference in risk between different formulations of combined oral contraceptive.

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Contributors

Author: G.M. Leydon

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