Epidemiology of Oral Contraceptives and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Jan P. Vandenbroucke
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1998)

Letters1 November 1998Epidemiology of Oral Contraceptives and Cardiovascular DiseaseJan P. Vandenbroucke, MD, PhD, Frans M. Helmerhorst, MD, PhD, and Frits R. Rosendaal, MD, PhDJan P. Vandenbroucke, MD, PhDLeiden University Medical Center; 2300 RC Leiden, the NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author, Frans M. Helmerhorst, MD, PhDLeiden University Medical Center; 2300 RC Leiden, the NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author, and Frits R. Rosendaal, MD, PhDLeiden University Medical Center; 2300 RC Leiden, the NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-129-9-199811010-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Chasan-Taber and Stampfer [1] present the “recency of market introduction” as a potential source of bias in evaluating the risk for venous thrombosis associated with new oral contraceptives containing desogestrel or gestodene. The argument is that women receiving these pills started using them more recently, those receiving older contraceptives had been using them for a longer time, and the risk for thrombosis is higher in the early periods of use. The straightforward solution is to compare “like with like”: women who are receiving different brands for similar time periods. This analysis was done by Jick and colleagues ...References1. Chasan-Taber L, Stampfer MJ. Epidemiology of oral contraceptives and cardiovascular disease. Ann Intern Med. 1998; 128:467-77. Google Scholar2. Jick II, Jick SS, Gurewich V, Myers MW, Vasilakis C. Risk of idiopathic cardiovascular death and nonfatal venous thromboembolism in women using oral contraceptives with differing progestagen components. Lancet. 1995; 346:1589-93. Google Scholar3. Vandenbroucke JP, Helmerhorst FM, Bloemenkamp KW, Rosendaal FR. Third-generation oral contraceptive and deep venous thrombosis: from epidemiologic controversy to new insights in coagulation. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1997; 177:887-91. Google Scholar4. Bloemenkamp KW, Rosendaal FR, Helmerhorst FM, Bueller HR, Vandenbroucke JP. Enhancement by factor V Leiden mutation of risk of deep-vein thrombosis associated with oral contraceptives containing a third-generation progestagen. Lancet. 1995; 346:1593-6. Google Scholar5. Cardiovascular disease and steroid hormone contraception. Report of a WHO Scientific Group. WHO Technical Report Series, no. 877. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1998. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Leiden University Medical Center; 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByTrombosis venosa profunda: presente y futuro 1 November 1998Volume 129, Issue 9Page: 747KeywordsCardiovascular diseasesContraceptivesEpidemiologyGlobal healthOral contraceptive therapyRelative riskResearch designRisk managementScientistsThrombosis Issue Published: 1 November 1998 CopyrightCopyright © 1998 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...