In the past few years, extensive research has highlighted the connection between the use of the oral contraceptive, Yaz, and the risk of several adverse side effects, including heart attack. Despite the drug’s enormous popularity in preventing pregnancy as well as treating moderate acne and the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, hundreds of Yaz injury cases are currently being investigated. In 2008, the FDA criticized Yaz’s manufacturing company, Bayer, for implementing deceptive practices in Yaz advertisements, intentionally overstating the drug’s benefits while distracting viewers from the potential adverse side effects linked to the drug. Although Bayer revised their advertising techniques and introduced new Yaz commercials in 2009, the drug’s dangerous side effects were not forgotten.
Since the FDA’s warning, several studies have reasserted the link between Yaz and the risk of heart attacks, naming the type of progestin used in Yaz as the main culprit. Yaz is one of a small group of oral contraceptives called “fourth generation” combination birth control pills, meaning they contain both estrogen and a new type of synthetic progestin called drospirenone. According to the FDA, drospirenone leads to severe heart and health problems, including blood clots, stroke and heart attack. Drospirenone is believed to be so dangerous because it increases the level of potassium in the blood which can result in hyperkalemia, a condition known to lead to kidney failure and cardiac arrest.
Heart attacks, also known as myocardial infarctions, are caused by the interruption of blood supply to the heart. In most cases, the heart attack is caused by a blood clot which develops in one of the blood vessels that lead to the heart muscle. If the clot is big enough, it can stop the flow of blood to the heart, and if the blood flow isn’t restored quickly, the section of the heart lacking blood becomes damaged and begins to die. The most common symptoms of heart attack include:
Other symptoms of a heart attack may include nausea, vomiting, fainting, a lightheaded feeling, dizziness, or cold sweats. Many heart attacks happen slowly and begin simply as a mild pain or discomfort. In some cases, the symptoms may even come and go over a short period of time.
In May of 2009, a study published in the British Medical Journal indicated that individuals taking Yaz were 6.3 times more likely to develop a blood clot than those not on Yaz, due mostly to the drug’s hormone, drospirenone. Because blood clots are one of the most common causes of heart attack and stroke, the connection between medication and injury is clear. As consumers, we understand that no drug is one hundred percent safe. In fact, we are aware that most medications we take do have side effects. However, these side effects are typically minor, and we do expect to be adequately warned about major side effects associated with any and every drug on the market.
Unfortunately, we cannot escape the deceptive practices employed by some drug manufacturing companies. In order to ensure their medication’s approval by the FDA, some pharmaceutical companies will conceal the more serious side effects associated with their drugs. This leaves us as consumers susceptible to extremely dangerous injuries without even warning us and allowing us to make our own educated decision regarding the drug’s benefits versus its potential to cause harm. In fact, there are a number of drugs currently on the market whose adverse side effects may actually outweigh the drug’s benefits, and we may not even know. The only way to receive compensation for injuries at the hand of negligent drug manufacturing companies is to file a Yaz lawsuit.
Heart attacks are currently the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide. Each year, approximately 1.1 million people suffer from a heart attack in the United States alone, and almost half of those heart attacks are fatal. For heart attack survivors, recovery is a slow process, and victims of a heart attack may suffer from major physical and mental difficulties following the injury. It is estimated that one hundred million people worldwide use oral contraceptives like Yaz, and may be putting themselves at risk for severe injuries and even death. Victims of Yaz injuries should contact a Yaz attorney to discuss the benefits of filing a lawsuit. There are already a number of Yaz lawsuits pending against Bayer Healthcare Inc. for injuries sustained from Yaz use, and hundreds more Yaz cases are currently being investigated. If you or a loved one has suffered from a heart attack due to the use of Yaz, a Yaz lawyer can help you receive the compensation you are entitled to.
