There was the idea that risk of increased gallbladder disease and stones existed by using oral birth control, but after years of lawsuits being filed against giant Bayer AG and drugs Yasmin and Yaz (drospirenone), about 3,000 in fact, The Canadian Medical Association Journal reports that there is no increased risk of gall bladder problems associated with these drugs in particular.
Drospirenone is one of the most popular oral contraceptives in North America, with worldwide sales of more than $2 billion in 2009.
About 100 million women worldwide use oral contraceptives as the most popular form of birth control. Deep vein thrombosis, stroke and pulmonary embolism are a few risks that have been associated with the long-term use of these drugs. However, the risk of gallbladder disease associated with different formulations of oral contraceptives is less clear.
Recent concerns have been raised linking drospirenone (primarily marketed as Yaz or Yasmin in North America), a new fourth-generation progestin, with gallbladder disease although no published clinical studies on this association exist. The new study did not find a clinically significant difference in the risk of gallbladder disease with different formulations of oral contraceptives, including those containing drospirenone.
Dr. Mahyar Etminan, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia states:
“We found a small, statistically significant increase in the risk of gallbladder disease associated with desogestrel, drospirenone and norethindrone compared with levonorgestrel. However, the small effect sizes compounded with the possibility of residual biases in this observational study make it unlikely that these differences are clinically significant.”
Drospirenone and estradiol are in fact female hormones called progestins and estrogens that make up this combination medicine. These female hormones are produced by the body and are necessary for the normal sexual development of the female and for the regulation of the menstrual cycle during the childbearing years.
The ovaries begin to produce less estrogen after menopause. This medicine is prescribed to make up for the lower amount of estrogen in postmenopausal women who still have a uterus. Estrogen helps relieve signs of menopause, such as hot flashes and unusual sweating, chills, faintness, or dizziness. Estrogen can also help to relieve a genital skin condition called vaginal or vulvar atrophy. Progestin helps to regulate the effects of estradiol.
The study continues:
“The surge in the number of reported cases of gallbladder disease facilitated through the media may have contributed in making drospirenone appear to be associated with a higher risk of gallbladder disease compared with older contraceptives.”
Gallbladder disease is a common condition that affects mainly women, although men can suffer too.
The symptoms vary widely from discomfort to severe pain which mainly begins after food. In severe cases the patient can suffer from jaundice, nausea and fever. The most common reason for gallbladder disease is gallstones.
Gallstones are solid stones formed in the gall bladder from cholesterol, bile salts and calcium. They can vary in size from a few millimeters to a few centimeters. Stones are formed when bile contains too much cholesterol. The excess cholesterol forms crystals from which gallstones are made.
Gallstones are seen in all age groups but they are rare in the young. The possibility of developing gallstones increases with age.
Source: Canadian Medical Association Journal
Written by Sy Kraft