BLOOD COAGULABILITY AND ORAL CONTRACEPTION

Atherogenesis and fibrinogen: historical perspective and current status

A review of 117 research publications describes a deficiency in fatty acid transport into intracellular oxidative energy metabolism which causes increased fibrinogen synthesis and turnover into fibrin. The increased production of fibrin, coupled with depressed activation of plasminogen, increases the fibrin/plasmin ratio causing thrombosis-induced atherogenesis. This discovery unifies the two schools of atherogenesis based on blood lipid or fibrin deposition theories.

Oral contraceptives and increased formation of soluble fibrin

Soluble fibrin was measured weekly for two months in 12 normal women and in 12 women on combined oestrogen-progestogen therapy (Ortho-Novin, Norinyl, Enavid, Ovral, Ovulen, Demulen). Plasma soluble fibrin concentration in women on oral contraceptives showed an increase of 97.2% (P <0.001) above that of normal women. In three cases, where each woman on the oral contraceptive served as her own control, stopping medication led to a return to normal of the plasma content of soluble fibrin.