Which Contraceptive Methods Increase The Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke?
Contraceptive Methods: The vaginal contraceptive ring and the patch, among hormonal contraceptive methods, carry the highest risks of stroke and heart attack.
A large new study suggests that taking certain birth control pills may slightly increase the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes in women. While the overall risk remains very low, researchers have noted that physicians should be aware of these risks when prescribing some hormonal contraceptives.
Contraceptive Methods, In this study, researchers analyzed data from over two million Danish women aged 15 to 49 and recorded 4,730 cases of stroke and 2,072 heart attacks over an average follow-up period of 11 years. They then cross-referenced this information with participants’ medical records to determine whether they had used hormonal contraceptives such as combined estrogen-progestin pills, progestin-only pills, hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), contraceptive implants, injectable medications, hormonal patches, or vaginal rings.
According to a report from DPA International, the research team led by experts from the University of Copenhagen found that women using combined estrogen-progestin pills—the most common hormonal contraceptive—experienced a twofold increase in the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Methods that use only progestin, including pills and implants, also slightly increased this risk, though to a lesser extent than the combined pill users.
Contraceptive Methods Increase The Risk Of Heart Attack
Contraceptive Methods, Non-oral methods delivering combined hormones, such as the vaginal ring and contraceptive patch, showed even higher risks compared to oral combined pills. Specifically, the vaginal ring was linked to a 2.4-fold increase in stroke risk and a 3.8-fold increase in heart attack risk, while the patch appeared to raise stroke risk by 3.4 times.
Nevertheless, the researchers emphasized that the absolute risk remains very low. This means that even though the relative risk is higher for those using these specific methods, the overall chance of experiencing a stroke or heart attack is still minimal compared to the entire population of users.
Dr. Becky Mawson, a clinical instructor in primary care at Sheffield University and a general practitioner specializing in sexual and reproductive health, stressed that women should not discontinue their use of contraceptives based solely on this study. “The risk of stroke and heart attack during pregnancy and postpartum is significantly higher than the risks reported in this study for contraceptive methods,” she added.
Dr. Mawson further recommended that if individuals have additional risk factors for stroke or heart disease, they should consult their doctor about safer options, such as a hormonal IUD.
Contraceptive Methods, A national study conducted in the UK and published in the BMJ also found that both combined estrogen-progestin pills and progestin-only pills (except for the levonorgestrel-releasing IUD) are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery blockages.
Therese Johansson from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden commented in a related article, “Eight out of every ten women worldwide have used hormonal contraceptive methods at some point, and the heart-related issues examined in this research are ‘rare’ among young women. However, the use of combined estrogen-progestin pills is associated with a doubling of the risk of ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction.
Contraceptive Methods, This means there is one additional ischemic stroke for every 4,760 women who use these combined pills for one year, and one extra heart attack for every 10,000 women using these drugs for a year. Keep in mind, however, that the absolute risk remains low.”
He added, “These side effects are serious, and considering that nearly 248 million women use hormonal contraceptive methods daily, it is an important finding.”
Dr. Channa Jayasena, a consultant in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, noted, “The absolute risk of stroke or heart attack among contraceptive pill users is still very low—only about three per 1,000 women, compared to six to ten per 1,000 among pill users.” She recommended that to reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack associated with pill use, women should consider lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating healthily, and exercising. For those at high risk who cannot mitigate these factors, switching to hormonal IUDs, which do not increase the risk of stroke or heart attack, should be seriously considered.
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