New Delhi– Taking birth control pills—specifically combined oral contraceptives containing both estrogen and progestin—may triple the risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women, according to a new study.
Cryptogenic strokes, which occur without a clearly identifiable cause, account for up to 40 percent of all ischemic strokes in young adults. Despite their prevalence, the role of sex-specific risk factors, such as hormonal contraceptive use, has been underexplored.
The new findings contribute to a growing body of research linking hormonal birth control to an increased risk of vascular events in women of reproductive age.
“Our findings confirm earlier evidence connecting oral contraceptive use with elevated stroke risk,” said Dr. Mine Sezgin of the Department of Neurology at Istanbul University, who led the study. “What’s especially significant is that the association remains strong even after adjusting for other known risk factors. This suggests additional underlying mechanisms—possibly genetic or biological—may be at play.”
The study examined 268 women between the ages of 18 and 49 who had experienced a cryptogenic ischemic stroke (CIS), and compared them with 268 age-matched women without a history of stroke. Participants were recruited from 14 medical centers across Europe.
Among the women studied, 66 stroke patients and 38 control participants were using combined oral contraceptives at the time.
While the researchers emphasized the need for further prospective studies, they advised healthcare providers to proceed with caution when prescribing combined hormonal contraceptives to women with existing vascular risk factors or a history of ischemic stroke.
“These results should prompt more thorough stroke risk assessments in young women, especially those with additional contributing factors,” Dr. Sezgin added.
Next, the research team plans to investigate the biological and genetic pathways that may explain the increased stroke risk associated with combined oral contraceptives, with the goal of better understanding how hormonal birth control may independently influence vascular health.
The findings were presented at the ongoing European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2025 in Helsinki, Finland. (Source: IANS)
