#None #ESOC 2025 #Combined Oral Contraceptives #risk of stroke

New Study Highlights Risks Associated with Combined Oral Contraceptives

Recently presented data at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2025 unveiled alarming insights about combined oral contraceptives (COCs) and their potential link to an increased incidence of cryptogenic strokes among young women, defined as strokes with no identifiable cause. This comprehensive study signals a call to both awareness and action in the medical community.

Study Overview

The study, named SECRETO (Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young), monitored 268 women aged 18 to 49, who suffered from cryptogenic ischemic strokes, alongside a control group of the same number of age-matched women without any history of stroke across 14 centers in Europe. The findings demonstrated a staggering threefold increase in stroke risk for those women utilizing COCs.

Dr. Mine Sezgin, a neurologist from Istanbul University and the lead author of the study, noted that previous studies have hinted at the association between COCs and stroke risk, but this particular research specifically targets cryptogenic strokes, making it one of the rare comprehensive examinations in this area.

Key Findings and Implications

Among the participants, 66 individuals who had suffered strokes and 38 control participants were recorded as users of COCs. The adjustments for various established comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, smoking habits, and obesity, were considered. The risk remained pronounced with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.00 (95% CI: 1.61–5.57), indicating that the elevated risk of stroke could exist separately from other medical factors.

Dr. Sezgin emphasized, "Our results reaffirm prior evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk. Particularly compelling is the finding that this association persists even after adjusting for recognized risk factors, suggesting the involvement of unknown biological or genetic mechanisms."

The predominant formulation among the users included ethinyl estradiol, with a median dose of 20 micrograms. The researchers factored in equivalent doses of estrogen across all participants to maintain consistency.

Need for Personalized Options

The implications of these findings are crucial for medical professionals when prescribing COCs, especially for those young women showing existing vascular risk factors or previous stroke incidents. While emphasizing the need for further expansive studies to discern if certain contraceptive formulas carry different risk levels, Dr. Sezgin advocates for careful risk evaluation during prescription practices.

"Our findings should spur a more cautious assessment of stroke risks in young women, particularly those presenting with additional risk variables," she added.

Future inquiries aim to explore the underlying biological and genetic frameworks connecting COC use to increased stroke susceptibility, thereby improving understanding of how hormonal contraceptives might elevate independent stroke risk.

This research accentuates the critical need for informed contraceptive choices and the importance of understanding the associated health risks. By raising awareness and fostering a proactive approach to health management, healthcare providers can better serve the needs of young women considering oral contraceptives.