Women on the pill live longer

12th March 2010 - Women in the UK who have ever taken the pill live longer. They are less likely to die from cancers, heart disease or any cause, compared to women who have never taken it.

That’s 52 fewer deaths per 100,000 woman years.

The Royal College of General Practitioners’ Oral Contraception Study began in 1968 and followed 46,000 women for up to nearly 40 years.

It created more than a million woman-years of research, making it one of the world’s largest continuing investigations into the health effects of oral contraceptives.

Old and new pills

The latest study concludes that “oral contraception is not significantly associated with an increased long-term risk of death” and adds, “indeed a net benefit was apparent.”

As the study is a long term one, it includes data from users of both the older style pill and more modern ones, and so the older pill could have been more beneficial than newer ones.

The study

Slightly higher death rates were found among younger women who had used oral contraception than among younger women who had not, with 20 more deaths per 100,000 among those younger than 30, and four more deaths per 100,000 among 30-39 year olds.

However, by the age of 50, the benefits outweighed what the researchers call “modest” risks, with 14 fewer deaths per 100,000 among 40-49 year olds who had ever used oral contraception; 86 fewer deaths per 100,000 for 50-59 year olds; 122 fewer deaths per 100,000 for 60-69 year olds; and 308 fewer deaths per 100,000 for 70+ year olds.

The study found a higher rate of violent or accidental death among women using the pill, which they are unable to explain.

The authors point out that “the balance of risks and benefits may vary globally, depending upon patterns of oral contraception usage and background risk of disease.”

Long term study

Early findings from the study suggested an increased risk of death among oral contraceptive users, mainly due to strokes or other vascular problems among older women or smokers. Later reports suggested that these effects disappeared once the pill was stopped.

The compilation of the latest results, published today at BMJ.com, were lead by Professor Philip Hannaford from the University of Aberdeen. In a news release, he says: “Many women, especially those who used the first generation of oral contraceptives many years ago, are likely to be reassured by our results.

“However, our findings might not reflect the experience of women using oral contraceptives today, if currently available preparations have a different risk than earlier products.”

Reaction

The British Heart Foundation helped to fund the study. BHF senior cardiac nurse, Judy O’Sullivan, says in a news release: “This study will provide some reassurance for women who took the first generation of the oral contraceptive pill, that use is not associated with a higher death rate in the long-term. In fact it showed that the pill provided some protection against some cancers and heart disease.

“However, as with all medication, the balance between the risks and benefits of the pill will vary from one woman to another. Women who wish to reduce their risk of developing heart disease should take regular physical activity, avoid smoking, maintain a healthy weight and eat a balanced diet.”