Women taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills) had significantly smaller hypothalamus volume than the women not taking the pill, according to a new study.
![Birth Control Pills may Slightly Alter the Structure of Women`s Brains
Birth Control Pills may Slightly Alter the Structure of Women`s Brains](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/oral-contraceptives-increase-risk-of-ischemic-stroke.jpg)
‘Birth control pills might shrink certain brain regions like the hypothalamus among women taking it.
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This may be in part because validated methods to quantitatively analyze MRI exams of the hypothalamus have not been available. Read More..
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"There is a lack of research on the effects of oral contraceptives on this small but essential part of the living human brain," said Michael L. Lipton, professor of radiology at the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the US.
"We validated methods for assessing the volume of the hypothalamus and confirm, for the first time, that current oral contraceptive pill usage is associated with smaller hypothalamic volume," Lipton said.
Oral contraceptives are among the most popular forms of birth control and are also used to treat a host of conditions, including irregular menstruation, cramps, acne, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome.
According to a 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, from 2015 to 2017, approximately 47 million women aged 15-49 in the US reported the current use of contraceptives. Of those, 12.6 percent used the pill.
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All 50 women underwent brain MRI, and a validated approach was used to measure hypothalamic volume.
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"This initial study shows a strong association and should motivate further investigation into the effects of oral contraceptives on brain structure and their potential impact on brain function," Lipton added.
Source-IANS