19 February 2008

Birth Control and Stroke

Does anyone know why birth control pills can increase your risk of stroke?
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5 comments:

Etorda B. said...

Hi Margaret,

I have been researching for about half an hour to find an answer to your question.

What I have found is that prior to the 1970s the estrogen dosage in oral contraceptives were quite high and after reports emerged claiming that a woman's risk for MI and CVA were increased is she was using BCPs. The FDA called for extensive studies on the cardiovascular side effects of birth control pill. One organization reported that BCPs had not been on the marketlong enough to establish a correlation between BCP use and risk of MI and/or MVA. In 1968, the WHO finally did find a relatioship. In 1970, mini-pill was introduced to the market. Despite the fact that it was less effective in preventing conception than its combo counterparts, it promised to decrease a woman's risk for MI and CVA.

I also found that the mere presence of estrogen, increases cholesterol and LDL blood levels which, in excess, are known to be contributor to cardiovascular disease. Coupled with other risk factors such as smoking, obesity, diabetes, HTN, physical inactivity, excessive drinking, being over 35(so much for enjoying my 30s), and other not so great things, the possibility if incidence increases.

You can find this info (and then some) @ http://www.answers.com/topic/oral-contraceptive?cat=health&nr=1

This topic concerns me quite a bit and I hope to find more info on the matter. If I find something more compelling, I will keep you updated.

19 February, 2008 19:40
KimiH492 said...

Great info, I was kind of wondering this myself.
I always recall hearing on birth control commericals that they increase your risk of blood clots which can produce an ischemic stroke (embolism or thrombosis in the brain). But I wasn't too sure the connection between birth control and clot formation. Thanks guys :D

19 February, 2008 20:28
dank495 said...

Margaret i have found an article that might help in the article it states that: "Overall, the risk of having a heart attack or stroke was found to be twice as high for low-dose oral contraceptive users as for nonusers. The risk returned to normal, however, when the women stopped taking the pill." As much as i love a woman who is on the pill, i never realized it could kill them, good question. Here is the link

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=47941

19 February, 2008 22:58
AshleyF495 said...

I researched and found this, from MSNBC...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8565177/

Many of the women who died from a stroke, were on an Ortho patch. The FDA stated that blood clots are an accepted risk from hormonal birth control because estrogen promotes blood coagulation. However, the company states that the strokes were not due to the birth control alone, but probably due to other risk factors.

"The AP found that before the patch was approved, the FDA had already noticed nonfatal blood clots from the patch were three times that of the pill. The AP then examined what has actually happened since the patch came on the market and found that deaths also appear to be at least three times as high.

If you are a woman taking the pill who doesn’t smoke and is under 35, the chance that you are going to have a blood clot that doesn’t kill you is between 1 and 3 in 10,000. Your risk of dying from a blood clot while using the pill is about 1 in 200,000.

By contrast, with the patch, the rate of nonfatal blood clots was about 12 out of 10,000 users during the clinical trials, while the rate of deaths appears to be 3 out of 200,000.

Clots usually form in the legs, and become serious problems if they travel to a woman’s heart, lungs or brain."

20 February, 2008 10:41
huyn495 said...

It is because of the Progesterone and/or Estrogen that is used in birth control pills. These hormones increase blood coagulation and this ends up increasing the risk of blood clots and therefore, the risk of stroke. I knew that PSIO 480 was good for something...

20 February, 2008 13:58

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