Myocardial Infarction Risks
A myocardial infarction, also known commonly as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked. When the heart does not receive a sufficient blood supply, some heart cells may die or become permanently damaged. A heart with dead cells is under greater strain and may perform inadequately or stop pumping blood altogether, possibly resulting in death if not treated immediately.
While there are preconditions that give some individuals a greater chance of having a heart attack than others, some prescription drugs can even increase the risk of a heart attack in relatively healthy individuals.
Oral Contraceptives and Blood Clotting
The oral contraceptives Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella are some examples of drugs that pose an increased risk to the health of some patients. These birth control pills contain a synthetic chemical compound known as drospirenone, which helps to reduce a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant. However, it can also cause a patient’s blood to thicken, which could lead to blood clots. A blood clot is a mass of blood that has clumped together within a blood vessel. If the blood clot becomes lodged in a blood vessel, it could reduce blood flow enough to induce a myocardial infarction.
Risk Populations
While anyone may experience thickened blood from taking Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella, certain populations have a greater chance of suffering from blood clots and resulting heart attacks than others. Some risk factors for a myocardial infarction include:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Kidney disease
- High levels of stress
If you have a personal or family history of any of the above risk factors, consider talking to your doctor immediately about other contraceptive options available to you. Combining these complications with a drospirenone-containing birth control pill such as Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella could greatly increase your chance of a myocardial infarction or related injury caused by a blood clot.
Contact Us
To learn more about myocardial infarction risks associated with oral contraceptives containing drospirenone, please contact the Yasmin side effect lawyers of Williams Kherkher today at 800-761-3187.
