It is the newspaper Le Figaro which teaches us today:there are 341 fewer cases of pulmonary embolism among women in 2013. A result which is consistent with the drop of a quarter of sales of contraceptive pills of 3rd or 4th generation!
The Descent into Hell
Announced as miraculous because as effective as the 1st and 2nd generation without their side effects (acne problems, weight gain, etc.), the 3rd and 4th generation pills made consumers disillusioned at the end of 2012 when these drugs were taken targeted by all media. The risk of venous thrombosis has been proven to be twice as high with the new generation, compared to the older oral contraceptives. As the newer ones were prescribed to two million women, consumer awareness has gained momentum and today sales of the older pills which had a 50% market share are now at 75%.
Good news for our health
A study conducted by the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) has therefore just revealed more than interesting information:this drop in sales of the drug in question is consistent with the drop in cases of pulmonary embolism in women, a life-threatening disease. 11% fewer cases means 341 victims who did not end up in hospital. In 2013, 2,704 women were hospitalized for this health problem compared to 3,045 in 2012. This drop in the number of cases is especially noticeable among the youngest between 15 and 29 years old. This phenomenon did not appear in older men or women, which proves that it is not related to an overall improvement but rather the result of the decline in sales of the 3rd and 4th generation pill. A very positive drop in sales for us then, but there are still 25% of oral contraceptive users who have not yet decided to switch back to the good old, less dangerous 1st and 2nd generation pills; it is therefore possible to further improve this reduction in pulmonary embolisms!
