Oral Contraceptive Use: More Carotid and Femoral Atheroschlerosis Later in Life
Ernst Rietzschel
Jennifer Mieres
REFERENCE: News Briefing, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, 4-7 November, 2007, Orlando, Florida
N Engl J Med 2007;357
ERNST RIETZSCHEL, University of Ghent, Belgium
COMMENT: JENNIFER MIERES, New York University
Women who used the contraceptive pill had increases in atherosclerotic plaque in their carotid and femoral arteries of between 20 and 30 percent by the time they reached late middle age. This is the finding of the ASKLEPIOS study conducted by the University of Ghent in which plaque was measured by ultrasound in 2 500 healthy men and women. Ernst Rietzschel presented data from the study to the 2007 Sessions of the AHA, and afterwards discussed the findings with Peter Goodwin.
N Engl J Med 2007;357
ERNST RIETZSCHEL, University of Ghent, Belgium
COMMENT: JENNIFER MIERES, New York University
Women who used the contraceptive pill had increases in atherosclerotic plaque in their carotid and femoral arteries of between 20 and 30 percent by the time they reached late middle age. This is the finding of the ASKLEPIOS study conducted by the University of Ghent in which plaque was measured by ultrasound in 2 500 healthy men and women. Ernst Rietzschel presented data from the study to the 2007 Sessions of the AHA, and afterwards discussed the findings with Peter Goodwin.
