Birth control pills, smoking, history of migraines a deadly combination
March 16th, 2010 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Women who take oral contraceptives, suffer from migraine headaches, and smoke cigarettes are at an alarmingly high risk of having a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association, a factor that is driving down the average age of stroke victims.
Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 143,500 people each year, according to the Internet Stroke Center. They also are the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Research shows that the number of people age 20 to 45 who had a stroke 2005 was up 7.3 percent from a decade earlier.
Considered separately, birth control pills and cigarettes both increase a woman’s risk for stroke. The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke wreak havoc on the cardiovascular system. Estrogen is the culprit in birth control pills. Oral contraceptives, even the low estrogen varieties, cause blood to clot more easily. The higher the level of estrogen in any contraceptive pill or patch, the greater one’s risk. Another risk factor for stroke – migraines. Some studies also suggest people who suffer from migraine headaches are more likely to suffer a stroke as well.
Mix the three risk factors together, and you get a deadly combination. Women who smoke, take birth control pills and have a history of migraine headaches are 34 times more likely to suffer a stroke compared to a woman with none of those risk factors, said Thomas Hemmen, M.D., a neurologist at the University of California, San Diego, Stroke Center, to CNN. “If you’re going to take the pill, you absolutely should not smoke.”