Today’s oral contraceptives have lower doses of hormones than those of the past. Howbeit, when combined with smoking, they may still pose a significant risk of heart disease. That’s according to some research published in Health Psychology.
“Even today the latest types of oral contraceptives with lower doses of hormones than those of decades ago appear to have harmful effects when combined with smoking and stress,” says Mary C. Davis, PhD, of ArizonaStateUniversity.
Dr. Davis investigated the links between oral contraceptive use and changes in blood content and dynamics when smokers and nonsmokers respond to acute stress. She measured its effects on stress-related changes in blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is a protein essential to blood coagulation that is implicated in atherosclerosis. This was the first study to offer data on how smoking and oral contraceptives intersect with acute stress to increase fibrinogen in the blood.
She administered two psychological stress tests to 52 women smokers and nonsmokers, half of whom were using oral contraceptives. After some of them smoked or puffed on an unlit cigarette, each of them was asked to deliver a four-minute speech defending themselves against a false accusation, and then to perform an endless mathematical task as fast and accurately as they could for eight minutes.
One of the principal findings was that oral contraceptive users had significantly greater cardiovascular reactivity to stress, but only if they were also smokers. The study also reports a modest, but significant increase in lipid and fibrinogen levels during stress.
Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels increased up to five percent in response to stress among those who smoked, but increased only slightly or decreased among those who did not smoke. Stress-related increases in fibrinogen were apparent among all of the women.
The research generated a wealth of data for further research into the causal mechanisms and long-term consequences of acute stress-related increases in lipids and fibrinogen.
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