A study has found that hormonal contraceptives are related with a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.
However, researchers from the University of Copenhagen said that while the overall risk remains low, clinicians should consider the potential risks before prescribing them.
Following over 20 lakh women in Denmark for more than 10 years, the team found that the most commonly used hormonal contraceptive — the combined oestrogen-progestin pill — was associated with double the risk of ischaemic stroke and heart attack.
The results translated to one extra stroke for every 4,760 women using the combined pill for one year, and one extra heart attack for every 10,000 women per year of use, the researchers said.
They stressed that even though the risk remains low, given the widespread use and seriousness of the conditions, clinicians should consider the potential risks when prescribing hormonal contraceptives.
“Use of contemporary oestrogen-progestin and progestin-only contraceptives was associated with an increased risk of ischaemic stroke and, in some cases, myocardial infarction,” the authors wrote in the study published in the British Medical Journal.
They said that previous studies have found an increased risk of cardiovascular events due to using hormonal contraceptives, but the findings have been inconsistent and outdated.
The study also found that non-oral contraceptives, such as the vaginal ring and patch, had higher associated risks.
The vaginal ring increased ischaemic stroke risk 2.4-fold and heart attack risk 3.8-fold, while the patch increased ischaemic stroke risk 3.4-fold, the team said.
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