Mortality among oral-contraceptive users. Royal College of General Practitioners' Oral Contraception Study.
In a large prospective study carried out in the United Kingdom, the death-rate from diseases of the circulatory system in women who had used oral contraceptives was five times that of controls who had never used them; and the death-rate in those who had taken the pill continuously for 5 years or more was ten times that of the controls. The excess deaths in oral-contraceptive users were due to a wide range of vascular conditions. The total mortality-rate in women who had ever used the pill was increased by 40%, and this was due to an increase in deaths from circulatory diseases of 1 per 5000 ever-users per year. The excess was substantially greater than the death-rate from complications of pregnancy in the controls, and was double the death-rate from accidents. The excess mortality-rate increased with age, cigarette smoking, and duration of oral contraceptive use.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral