Oral contraceptives increase the risk of ischemic strokes.
American scientists from Loyola University in Chicago urging women to avoid the use of oral contraceptives, as a new study has suggested that birth control pills pose a small but significant risk for the most common type of stroke.
For healthy young women without any risk factors of stroke the risk of stroke associated with oral contraceptives, is small, experts say, but in women with the presence of stroke risk factors such as Smoking, high blood pressure and a history of migraine, this risk is much higher and, in most cases, use of oral contraceptives, they should be avoided.
Oral contraceptives increase the risk of ischemic strokes are caused by blood clots, and constitute about 85% of all strokes, according to researchers.
In the General population oral contraceptives, did not seem to increase the risk of hemorrhagic strokes, which are caused by bleeding in the brain. According to figures, about 4.4 cases of ischemic strokes account for every 100,000 women of childbearing age.
It was found that the administration of oral contraceptives increases the risk of stroke 1.9 times, to 8.5 cases per 100,000 women. Despite the fact that this is a very small risk, women should take note and be cautious, experts say.
It is noted that hormone replacement therapy with progesterone or estrogen, and their combination increases the risk of ischemic stroke by 40% – the higher the dose, the higher the risk.
