Blood Clots
WLR dietitian Juliette Kellow looks at new research from the
EURAS which shows that obesity can increase the risk of blood
clots in women taking the pill.
The Pill, Obesity and Blood Clots
By WLR Dietitian
According to new research, obesity dramatically increases the
risk of blood clots for women who take The Pill.
The European Active Surveillance (EURAS) study took place
between 2000 and 2006 and included almost 59,000 women from
seven European countries, including the UK. The study set out to
look at heart health in women using oral contraceptives.
To help analyse the results, the researchers added all the
years of the women together to make the measurements more
precise.
The results showed that for every 100,000 years there were 44
cases of blood clots in women who didn’t take the Pill. This
figure rose to 90 cases in women who were taking the combined
Pill – around double. But when the study looked specifically at
women with a BMI over 30, it found 230 cases. In other words,
obese women were five times more likely to develop blood clots
than those not on the Pill.
Currently, the Faculty of Family Planning warns against
prescribing the combined pill to women with a BMI over 35.
However, Dr Anne Szarewski, editor-in-chief of the Journal of
Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care says it’s likely
that guidelines will be tightened.
WLR says:
The link between blood clots and the Pill has been known
about for many years, particularly in women who are obese.
It’s thought the increased risk comes from the extra
oestrogen they naturally have. However, this new study reveals
that the risk is much higher than was previously thought and as
a result, in the future, guidelines may be tightened.
The best suggestion is to follow the advice of your doctor
and maybe use this new research as yet another incentive to
shift those extra pounds.
More Information
www.ffprhc.org.uk
A faculty of the Royal College of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists established on the 26th March 1993.
The Faculty grants diplomas, certificates, fellowships and
equivalent recognition of specialist knowledge and skills in
family planning and reproductive health care. As a body it
promotes conferences and lectures, provides members with an
advisory service and publishes The Journal of Family Planning
and Reproductive Health Care. |
