NYMC Faculty Publications

Thrombotic and Vascular Complications of Oral Contraceptives

Author Type(s)

Student, Faculty

DOI

10.1097/CRD.0000000000000643

Journal Title

Cardiology in Review

First Page

502

Last Page

508

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2025

Department

Medicine

Keywords

contraception recommendations, hypertension, oral contraceptive pill, side effects of oral contraception, thrombosis

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

The oral contraceptive pill is the most commonly used form of reversible contraception, as it has significantly grown in popularity in recent years. The 2 types of oral contraceptive pills are combination oral contraceptives, which contain estrogen and progesterone, and progestin-only pills. Both have failure rates of approximately 7.2–9% with typical use and are safe for most patients. However, several thrombotic and vascular complications have been found to be associated with the usage of oral contraceptive pills, most notably being an increase in blood pressure and thrombosis. Although these complications do not typically affect young, healthy females, they merit concern for patients with a history of hypertension or thrombosis or patients with preexisting risk factors for these conditions. Overall, progestin-only pills are the safer option regarding these complications. Additionally, a complete summary of the medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use has been created and is regularly updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This chart summarizes the recommendations for contraception use by patients with a variety of preexisting conditions or risk factors.

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