Warning! These tablets can cause blood clots, thrombosis, and heart attacks.
Health authorities in several countries have recently reviewed certain medications due to potential cardiovascular risks, restricting their approval or withdrawing them from the market. Some of these medications have been linked to serious conditions such as blood clots, embolisms, stroke, and heart attacks.
Patients and healthcare professionals should be especially vigilant when taking medications known to affect blood flow, blood pressure, or the risk of blood clots.
What are blood clots?
A thrombus is an abnormal blood clot that forms in a blood vessel. Blood clotting is essential to stopping bleeding. However, if a clot forms in a vein or artery without being damaged, it can block blood flow and become dangerous.
Possible complications include:
Pulmonary embolism, where a blood clot travels to the lungs.
Stroke, where blood flow to the brain is blocked.
Heart attack, where a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart.
Deep vein thrombosis, where a blood clot forms in a deep vein, often in the leg.
Even a single untreated blood clot can be life-threatening. Therefore, medications associated with an increased risk of thrombosis are taken very seriously by health authorities.
Medicines that may require special care
The exact names of the drugs may vary by country, but commonly discussed categories include:
Hormonal contraceptives, especially some newer generations
Some anti-inflammatory medications
Some diet pills or appetite suppressants
Rare cases associated with some treatments or vaccines for COVID-19
Regulatory agencies such as the FDA, EMA, and National Health Commissions may issue safety warnings, restrictions on use, withdraw medications, or temporarily suspend their use if risks are identified.
The risk may be increased in people with pre-existing conditions or risk factors such as:
Hypertension
Obesity
Diabetes
Smoker’s disease
Family or genetic history of bleeding disorders
Warning symptoms requiring urgent medical intervention
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