A comparative study of the hemostatic effects of two monophasic oral contraceptives containing 30 μg ethinylestradiol and either 2 mg chlormadinone acetate or 150 μg desogestrel

Objectives To determine the effect of two low-dose monophasic oral contraceptives containing either 2 mg chlormadinone acetate or 150 μg desogestrel on blood clotting and fibrinolysis.Methods In vivo markers of intravascular coagulatory and fibrinolytic activity were measured in 45 volunteers randomly assigned to a 6-month treatment with one of the two study preparations.Results During oral contraceptive use, the procoagulatory activity increased (increased prothrombin fragment 1+2), the anticoagulatory capacity changed (increased protein C activity, decreased activated protein C sensitivity, decreased protein S activity and decreased antithrombin III activity) and the fibrinolytic system was activated (increased concentrations of plasmin-antiplasmin complexes and d-dimer as well as total fibrin degradation products). There were no relevant differences between the two medication groups.Conclusion Our results demonstrate that both oral contraceptive preparations have comparable effects on the hemostatic sy...