May 7, 2008
(LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynecology has revealed that the newest version of the contraceptive pill
increases the risk of heart disease.
The study,
which was conducted by the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies
at the University of Udine, in Italy, concludes that the new,
"third-generation" oral contraceptives elevates the levels of
"C-reactive protein" (CRP) in women, which in turn raises their risk
of cardiovascular disease.
In
comparing healthy women who used the pill with a group that didn't, the study
found that pill-users were more than four times more likely to have high levels
of CRP in their bodies, "posing a high risk of cardiovascular
disease". Pill-users were also 3.9 times more likely to have
levels of CRP posing an "intermediate risk" for heart disease.
Elevated
CRP levels are associated with a condition known as "low grade
inflammation" which, the study's abstract says, "could affect the
risk of venous thromboembolism, cardiovascular disease, and other oral
contraceptive-associated adverse conditions in young women." "Venus
thromboembolism" is the medical term for blood clots, a problem that has
long been associated with oral contraceptives.
The study
also found that pill-users were more likely to have elevated "bad"
cholesterol levels (high density lipoprotein) relative to "good"
cholesterol (low level lipoprotein), another risk factor for heart disease and
stroke.
Dr. John
Shea, medical advisor to Canada's Campaign Life Coalition noted that,
ironically, "third generation oral contraceptives were first introduced in
1994 in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease".
"Third
generation oral contraceptive use increases low-grade inflammatory status which
could increase the risk of arteriosclerosis that could, in turn, increase the
risk of arterial or venous blood clots, heart attack, stroke, hypertension,
liver cancer, and non cancerous liver tumours and an increased risk of bone
loss," Shea told LifeSiteNews.com.
"It
should be noted that the use of ordinary oral contraceptives is associated with
a four-fold increased risk of blood clots and that the use of third generation
oral contraceptives increases that risk by a factor of 1.5. All oral
contraceptive use is also associated with increased risk of breast cancer and
cancer of the cervix of the uterus."
The study
matches the results of another study published in April, which found that oral
contraceptive use was associated with "hardening" of the arteries due
to plaque buildup (see LifeSiteNews.com coverage at http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08040807.html).