A new study suggests that young women who use combined oral contraceptives (OCs) may face a threefold increase in the risk of cryptogenic ischaemic stroke (CIS)—a type of stroke with no known cause.
A combined oral contraceptive (COC) is a birth control pill that contains two hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. It prevents ovulation and makes it harder for sperm to enter the uterus. The cryptogenic ischaemic stroke accounts for about 15–40% of all ischaemic strokes.
The study analysed the data from 268 women aged 18–49 who experienced unexpected strokes and compared them with 268 women in the same age group without a stroke history. Of these, 66 patients and 38 controls were using combined oral contraceptives.
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The team found that oral contraceptive users were significantly more likely to suffer a stroke, even after adjusting for common risk factors like smoking, hypertension, migraine with aura, and obesity.
“Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk. What’s 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,” Dr. Mine Sezgin, Department of Neurology, Istanbul University, and lead author of the study, said.
The researchers also advised clinicians to exercise caution when prescribing combined oral contraceptives to women with known vascular risk factors or a history of ischaemic stroke. The findings were presented at a conference of European Stroke Organisation in Finland’s Helsinki.
