Blood Pressure in Women Taking Oral Contraceptives

Weir, R. J.; Briggs, Eleanor; Mack, A.; Naismith, Lorna D; Taylor, L.; Wilson, Elizabeth

doi:10.1136/bmj.1.5907.533

Cited by 149 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In another study, blood pressure fell in hypertensive women when their 50 g oestrogen pill was changed to 30 g oestrogen. 58 Contrasting findings were reported in a study, 70 in which 15 women on 30 g oestrogen OCs registered higher blood pressures than 28 women on 50 g OCs-findings attributed by the authors to the different progestogenic components. Low-dose OCs were deemed so safe following a study of women of mean age 26.3 years after 6 and 12 months of use, that the authors considered they could be safely sold over the counter.…”

Section: Target Organ Effectscontrasting

confidence: 37%

“…54 Following Woods' initial report 55 in 1967 of elevated blood pressure in hypertensive women on OCs, several investigators documented the considerable lowering of blood pressure among hypertensive women upon stopping OCs. [56][57][58][59][60] Laragh and Sealey 56 reported elevations in renin substrate concentration and aldosterone excretion, as well as abnormalities in renin activity and renin reactivity in women on OC therapy. Weinberger 57 also pointed out a rise in plasma renin substrate concentration in women on OC therapy.…”

Section: Target Organ Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…61,62 The incidence of hypertension in OC users varied greatly among early studies: from 4% 63 to 15.5%, 64 and 18%. 65 A 3-year study of 83 OC users 58 found increases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures, 9.2 and 5.0 mm Hg, respectively, and a year later a smaller group of these women had a mean increase in systolic pressure of 14.2 mm Hg and in diastolic pressure of 8.5 mm Hg. Within 3 months of stopping OC therapy, the blood pressure returned to pretreatment levels.…”

Section: Target Organ Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Hypertension in women

Rosenthal

Oparil

2000

J Hum Hypertens

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hypertension in women has received less attention than hypertension in men, and the major controlled trials of antihypertensive therapy have been carried out in populations made up predominantly of and have emphasised outcomes in men. Recently it has been recognised that women develop high blood pressure, particularly systolic hypertension, at an increased rate as they age, and that this age-related blood pressure increase is exaggerated by the menopause. The age-related rise in blood pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure, contributes substantially to the age-related increase in risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke in middle-aged and elderly women. This article reviews

show abstract

Section: Target Organ Effectscontrasting

confidence: 37%

Section: Target Organ Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Target Organ Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Hypertension in women

Rosenthal

Oparil

2000

J Hum Hypertens

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…17,18 Controlled prospective studies have consistently demonstrated a return of BP to pretreatment levels within 3 months of discontinuing COCs. 16,19 In the Health Survey for England, a cross-sectional survey, mean BP was significantly higher among premenopausal women who were current users of oral contraceptives (COCs and progestin-only) than among non-users. 20 The BP difference tended to increase with age.…”

Section: Oral Contraceptives and Bpmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hypertension in women

Pimenta

2011

Hypertens Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hypertension is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality, and a highly prevalent condition in both men and women. However, the prevalence of hypertension is predicted to increase more among women than men. Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) can induce hypertension in a small group of women and, increase CV risk especially among those with hypertension. Both COC-related increased CV risk and blood pressure (BP) returns to pretreatment levels by 3 months of its discontinuation. The effects of menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on BP are controversial, and COCs and HRT containing the new generation progestin drospirenone are preferred in women with established hypertension. Despite the high incidence of cancer in women, CV disease remains the major cause of death in women and comparable benefit of antihypertensive treatment have been demonstrated in both women and men. Hypertension Research (2012) 35, 148-152; doi:10.1038/hr.2011; published online 1 December 2011Keywords: blood pressure; treatment; women INTRODUCTIONHypertension is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality, and a highly prevalent condition in both men and women. Blood pressure (BP) is generally higher in men than in women regardless of age. Mean systolic BP in the overall population increases progressively throughout adult life in both men and women. During early adulthood mean systolic BP is higher in men than women, but the subsequent rate of rise in BP is steeper for women than men. Prevalence and severity of hypertension increase markedly with advancing age in women, such that a higher percentage of women than men have high BP after 65 years. 1-5 Furthermore, BP control is more difficult to achieve in older women. Data from the Framingham Heart Study showed gender differences in BP control rates and in the pattern of antihypertensive medications prescribed. 3 An age-related decrease in BP control rates were more pronounced in women than in men. Among the oldest participants with hypertension, only 23% of women (vs. 38% of men) were controlled to BP o140/90 mm Hg. Treatment with thiazide diuretics was also more frequent among women than men (38 vs. 23%). It is unknown whether the age-related decline in BP control among women is related to true treatment resistance because of biological factors or to inappropriate drug choices in the clinical setting.This article discusses practical aspects related to hypertension in women and some topics are discussed in detail in separate articles in this special review edition.

show abstract

“…The association between the use of OC and BP elevation has been repeatedly demonstrated. 11,[17][18][19] In the last Joint National Committee, JNC 7 report, it is emphasized that OC raise BP and that the risk of hypertension increases with length of use. They recommend that OC users should get their pressure levels checked regularly during the period when they are taking OC and that the onset of hypertension is a reason to consider other forms of contraception.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stopping oral contraceptives: an effective blood pressure-lowering intervention in women with hypertension

et al. 2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The association of combined oral contraceptives (OC) with higher blood pressure (BP) may be attenuated with pills with smaller doses of oestrogen. The effect of stopping OC on BP of patients with hypertension was not described to date. In a cohort study of patients with hypertension, we identified 72 women using OC among 2112 patients seen from 1989 to 2002. Stopping hormonal contraception was recommended to all. The main outcome measurement was BP change in women who stopped (n ¼ 44) and who did not stop (n ¼ 28) OC, adjusting for baseline BP and age. Odds ratio for having a reduction of at least 20 mmHg in systolic blood pressure (SBP) or 10 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), adjusting for age, change in weight and prescription of BP-lowering drugs, were calculated. The mean follow-up time was 6.677.5 months. Participants who stopped and did not stop OC had similar baseline characteristics. The deltas of SBP (adjusted) were 15.172.6 mmHg in patients who stopped and 2.873.2 mmHg in patients who did not stop OC (P ¼ 0.004). The corresponding values for DBP were 10.471.8 and 2.772.2 mmHg (P ¼ 0.008), respectively. The odds ratio (adjusted) for having a decrease of at least 20 mmHg in SBP or 10 mmHg in DBP was 0.28 (95% CI 0.08-0.90) in patients who stopped OC. Stopping OC is an effective antihypertensive intervention in a clinical setting.

show abstract

Blood Pressure in Women Taking Oral Contraceptives

Cited by 149 publications

References 8 publications

Hypertension in women

Hypertension in women

Hypertension in women

Stopping oral contraceptives: an effective blood pressure-lowering intervention in women with hypertension

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About