Oral Contraceptives Can Cause High BP in Women

An Indian-origin researcher has found that long-term exposure to estrogen can lead to higher risk of developing high blood pressure.

Women who consume too much of estrogen in the form of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) pills are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure.

The exposure generates excessive levels of the compound superoxide in an area of the brain that is crucial in regulating blood pressure, the study explains.

Birth Control Pills | Contraceptive Pills Types Advantages Side Effects & Risks
Oral contraceptive or birth control pills contain hormones that prevent pregnancy. It is one of the most reliable methods of contraception.

Researchers found that estrogen-induced compound buildup causes stress in the body and increased blood pressure.

However, research also indicates that the anti-oxidant resveratrol reverses the increase in both superoxide and blood pressure.

"This is an important study on at least two levels," said P.S. MohanKumar, associate professor of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation in MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Blood Pressure Screening
Hypertension accounts for nearly 6% of deaths worldwide.

First, it continues to confirm the negative effect that long-term estrogen exposure has for females. Second, it provides a new rationale for how and why this relationship occurs," he added.

MohanKumar further explained, "because so many women use estrogen-only HRT to combat the effects of menopause, it is imperative that we better understand the risks that chronic exposure has for females and why these effects occur."

Health Animation-Birth Control Pills
Interesting information about the use of birth control pills, a debate about the birth control responsibility of men and women and development of hypothetical male contraceptive pill.

The study appears in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology.

Source-ANI

Quiz on Hypertension
It stealthily creeps in and catches people unawares. Find out more about this ‘silent killer’ by participating in the quiz.