BACKGROUND Combined oral contraceptives are a common method of contraception, but they carry a risk of venous and arterial thrombosis. We assessed whether use of drospirenone was associated with an increase in thrombotic risk relative to third-generation combined oral contraceptives. METHODS Using computerized records of the largest health care provider in Israel, we identified all women aged...

We estimated cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) activities in erthrocytes and plasma of 443 men, 188 women not taking oral contraceptives, and 70 women who were taking oral contraceptives. Men in the first six decades of life had higher plasma cholinesterase activity than did women who were not taking oral contraceptives, and these women had higher plasma cholinesterase activity than women taking oral...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate quantitatively articles that compared effects of second and third generation oral contraceptives on risk of venous thrombosis. DESIGN Meta-analysis. STUDIES Cohort and case-control studies assessing risk of venous thromboembolism among women using oral contraceptives before October 1995. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pooled adjusted odds ratios calculated by a general varian...