Does taking oral birth control pills increase your risk of heart disease? Studies in the past have not given a clear answer.
However, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has given an answer. The study was published in the journal by Dou W, Huang Y, Liu X and others on August 10, 2023; 12:e030105.
The study looked at 161,017 women. A comparison was made between those women who ever used oral contraceptives compared to those who never did.
Here is what the researchers concluded: “Oral contraceptive use was not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause death in women and may even produce an apparent net benefit.”
In addition, they concluded that “… the beneficial effects appeared to be more apparent in participants with longer duration of use.” Longer duration meant more than 5 years of use.
All-cause death means dying for any reason, not just from heart disease. So, oral contraceptives appear to protect women from dying from heart disease as well as other causes.
Peter M. Hartmann, MD
Family Medicine & Psychiatry
