Study finds a link between hormonal contraceptives and heart-related risks.
The study also found that non-oral contraceptives, like the vaginal ring and patch carried a higher risk
A close-up of a young woman’s hand holding birth control pills (symbolic image).
New Delhi: A study found that hormonal contraceptives may increase the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen emphasized
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen emphasized that although the overall risk remains low, healthcare providers should carefully assess the potential risks before prescribing hormonal contraceptives. The study tracked over 2 million women in Denmark for more than a decade.
The team found that the most commonly used hormonal contraceptive, the combined estrogen-progestin pill, was linked to twice the risk of ischemic stroke and heart attack.
This means one additional stroke for every 4,760 women who use the combined pill for a year and one extra heart attack for every 10,000 women per year of use, according to the study.
They emphasized that while the overall risk is low, the widespread use of these contraceptives and the seriousness of these conditions mean that doctors should carefully consider the potential risks before prescribing them. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that modern estrogen-progestin and progestin-only contraceptives were linked to a higher risk of ischemic stroke and, in some cases, heart attacks.
They noted that earlier studies had linked hormonal contraceptives to a higher risk of heart-related issues, but the results were inconsistent and outdated. This study also found that non-oral contraceptives, like the vaginal ring and patch, carried even higher risks. According to the team, the vaginal ring was associated with a 2.4 times higher risk of ischemic stroke and a 3.8 times higher risk of heart attack, while the patch increased the risk of ischemic stroke by 3.4 times.