IUD best treatment for heavy periods, major trial shows

Testing effectiveness
 
The ECLIPSE trial compared the clinical effectiveness of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (also known as LNG-IUS or the Mirena contraceptive coil) with other medical treatments on offer in primary care.
 
A total of 571 women, consulting their GPs for heavy menstrual bleeding, agreed to be randomly assigned to LNG-IUS or to another standard medical treatment, such as tranexamic acid, mefanamic acid, combined estrogen and progestogen or progestogen only.
 
Over two years, patient reported outcomes improved more with LNG-IUS than with other treatments, including women’s experience of practical difficulties, social, family and work life, and psychological and physical health.
 
Women allocated to LNG-IUS were almost twice as likely to still be using it than those taking other medication after two years. Some 49 per cent of other trial participants switched to LNG-IUS citing ‘lack of effectiveness’ as the reason for stopping other treatments.
 
Breaking the taboo
 
Joe Kai, a GP and Professor of Primary Care at The University of Nottingham, said:
“We hope our results are very positive news for women and their GPs. This trial tells us not only that treatments can be effective, but also what to choose, bearing in mind a woman’s preferences for having a contraceptive IUS inserted or not.
 
“Heavy menstrual bleeding can be very debilitating but we know many do not seek help. We need to make women more aware beneficial treatments are available, and to offer options such as LNG-IUS more often.”
 
Janesh Gupta, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Birmingham and based at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, said: “While the interventions studied in this trial represent options available in primary care settings in the UK, insertion of IUDs is not part of primary care in all health care settings, and in some circumstances requires gynaecologist consultation.  This trial should encourage the use of IUDs in primary care.

“Both LNG-IUS and usual medical treatments reduced the adverse impact of menorrhagia on women’s lives over two years but this trial shows that LNG-IUS is the more effective first choice, as assessed by the impact of bleeding on women’s quality of life.”

Ends

A video on this research is available here.
 

For up to the minute media alerts, follow us on Twitter

Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 40,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘the world’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2011.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.

Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news