This popular birth control method may multiply the risk of heart attack 3.8 times

This could be a hard pill to swallow.

It is estimated that 250 million women worldwide is believed to use some form of hormonal contraception. Past research has suggested a link between the use of synthetic hormones to prevent pregnancy and an increase in the risk of stroke and heart attack.

Denmark scientists examined the risks associated with vaginal rings, skin patches, intrauterine devices, skin inserted implants, injections, estrogen pills-programs and tablets only proges.

Hormonal contraceptives contain estrogen and proges or only proges to reflect the hormones that occur naturally in the woman’s body. Estrogens regulates the menstrual cycle while proges is a synthetic version of progesterone, a crucial hormone to support pregnancy.

For their study, researchers monitored national recipe records for more than 25 years for more than 2 million Danish women between the ages of 15 and 49.

Women were excluded if they had a history of antipsychotic use, cancer, liver disease, kidney disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, infertility treatment, hormonal therapy or other conditions.

After adjusting to factors such as age, education, high blood pressure and diabetes, researchers linked the estrogen-program pill, colloquially known as contraceptive pill, up to double the risk of ischemic stroke and heart attack.

This results in an additional stroke for every 4,760 women who take the pill for a year and an additional choir attack per 10,000 women a year.

Ischemic stroke, when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked, is the most common type of stroke.

Non-butter-friendly estrogen contraroptives, such as vaginal ring and skin patch, also associated with high risks.

The vaginal ring increased the risk of ischemic stroke of 2.4 times and the risk of heart attack 3.8 times, while the patch increased the risk of stroke of 3.4 times.

Progestin products, including “mini tablet” and implants, came out better. The only progeestin says was the only non -contraceptive not linked to a higher risk.

Researchers emphasized that his was an observational study, so firm conclusions cannot be drawn on the cause and effect. There could have been other factors that drove the bumps and heart attacks that they did not take into account.

“Although absolute risks [of these incidents] They were low, “the researchers wrote in the BMJ this week,” doctors should include the potential risk … in their evaluation of benefits and risks when prescribing hormonal contraceptive methods. ”

In an accompanying publisher, the postdoctoral researcher of the Royal Institute of Technology, These, Johansson, said that arterial thrombosis, when a blood clot is formed in an artery, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke – is rare in young women.

However, the side effects are severe and the use of hormonal contraceptions is widespread.

Johansson demands campaigns to increase awareness of possible risks associated with various contraceptive methods.

“These initiatives should be supported by training for healthcare providers to ensure consistent and evidence -based advice,” he wrote to the BMJ.