Contraceptive used by MILLIONS triples risk of strokes in young women – study has doctors concerned

Millions of women taking the combined contraceptive pill are at an increased risk of suffering a sudden, unexplained stroke, worrying research suggests. 

Researchers, who analysed data from over 500 women, found those who used a combined oral contraceptive—better known as The Pill—were three times more likely to suffer a stroke than those who didn’t. 

This was despite researchers finding no significant link between The Pill and known risk stroke factors such as high blood pressure, migraines and obesity, suggesting it was the drug itself that was somehow responsible. 

Dr Mine Sezgin, an expert in neurology from Istanbul University and lead researcher of the new study, said the findings had implications for contraceptive use among women with health conditions that increased their risk of a stroke. 

‘Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk and should prompt more careful evaluation of stroke risk in young women, particularly those with additional risk factors,’ she said. 

‘This knowledge could help guide more personalised contraceptive choices for women.’ 

The researchers are now advising healthcare professionals to exercise caution when prescribing the combined contraceptive pill to women with an increased risk of stroke.

This isn’t the first study to establish a link between The Pill and stroke risk and independent experts have previously urged women to not stop using contraceptives based on the results.

They have said it is critical to remember the odds of a healthy woman suffering a stroke is extremely low in the first place, so the increased risk found in these studies quite small in real terms.

Independent experts have also highlighted pregnancy carries a high risk of stroke. 

The Pill is a hormonal contraceptive, containing both oestrogen and progestogen, which prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg each month. 

In the UK, around 3.1million women take medication, according to recent data. 

But more than 100 million women around the world use the combined oral contraceptive, according to the World Health Organisation.

In the new study, presented at the European Stroke Organisation conference in Helsinki, Finland, researchers examined data from 268 women aged 18-49 who had suffered a cryptogenic ischemic stroke.

This is a stroke with no obvious identifiable causes. 

These women were matched with 268 stroke-free participants who acted as a control. 

Of the 536 participants, 66 stroke-patients and 38 women were taking the combined contraceptive pill. 

After adjusting for age and medical conditions researchers found women on The Pill had triple the risk of suffering a cryptogenic stroke. 

Researchers also accounted for various amount of oestrogen in the different oral contraceptives  to ensure consistency. 

Dr Sezgin said: ‘What is particularly notable is that the association remains strong even when accounting for other known risk factors, which suggests there may be additional mechanisms involved—possibly genetic or biological’. 

‘While out data provides important initial insights, larger studies are needed to determine if certain formulations carry different levels of risk.’

When taken correctly, the combined pill is said to be over 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. 

It is also commonly prescribed for heavy or painful periods, premenstrual syndrome, endometriosis and acne. 

However, The Pill has also been associated with a number of concerning health complications including blood clots, heart attacks and cancer. 

Common side effects include breakthrough bleeding, headaches, nausea and sore breasts.

Some women also report weight gain and a change in sex drive, however, there is not enough evidence to say whether this is caused by the pill.

According to the NHS, taking The Pill can increase a woman’s chances of developing breast or cervical cancer, but this increased risk disappears 10 years after a woman stops taking it. 

The new research comes as new data suggests cases of strokes are skyrocketing in young people, with 100,000 patients suffering from the medical emergency each year in the UK. 

Strokes are one of the biggest killers in Britain, killing about 38,000 people each year and are also a leading cause of disability. 

The tell-tale symptoms of a stroke can be remembered using the acronym FAST: Face (drooping or inability to smile), Arms (weakness or inability to lift one arm), Speech (slurred or garbled), and Time (to call emergency services immediately).

But other lesser-known symptoms to watch out  include blurred vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes, a severe headache and feeling or being sick.

Strokes are most commonly caused by fatty deposits or a blood clot blocking arteries supplying the brain—known as ischaemic stroke.

This can happen as a result of cardiovascular disease as critical blood vessels become narrowed or blocked over time by plaques.

Another type of stroke—called haemorrhagic strokes—occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the brain and starts to leak its contents into the organ.