Birth control ring and patch linked to higher clot, stroke risk, study says
Global News
Some hormonal birth control products, including the pill, vaginal ring and skin patch, may increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke, new research suggests.
Some hormonal birth control products, including the vaginal ring and skin patch, may increase the risk of a blood clot, heart attack or stroke, new research suggests.
A peer-reviewed study published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday showed that the use of contraceptives containing estrogen and progestin, which are female hormones, was linked with an increased risk of blood clot, stroke and, in some cases, heart attack compared to women not using hormonal birth control.
“We know that estrogen-based contraceptives, for example, can increase a woman’s risk of having blood clots, so that’s where that risk of heart attack and stroke can happen,” said Katie White, director of health systems with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
“For women in particular, we know that their risk changes across their life span and that depends a little bit on the protective effects of estrogen, which change of course, through a woman’s life course,” she told Global News in an interview.
Age also has a role to play, with those over the age of 35 at a “higher risk, especially if they have other risk factors,” such as smoking, pre-existing medical conditions, previous stroke or heart condition, high blood pressure or medical complications from pregnancy.
This new study adds to growing evidence linking hormonal contraceptives with the rare but present risks of blood clots and cardiovascular diseases, though the risks remain significantly lower than the risks of blood clots that come with pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Danish researchers found that the associated risk for blood clots was highest for estrogen-containing products, particularly the vaginal ring and skin patch.
The associated risk of stroke increased two- to three -fold with the use of combined estrogen-progestin vaginal ring and patch.
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