"Study links birth control pill to arterial plaque" - Reuters

Reuters:

A European study released on Tuesday has raised new concerns about the safety of women's long-term use of the birth control pill, suggesting increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Women who had used oral contraceptives were more likely than those who did not take the pill to have a buildup of plaque in their arteries, the researchers told an American Heart Association meeting.

... Rietzschel's team studied 1,301 women ages 35 to 55.

Of them, 81 percent had used the pill, for an average of 13 years. The researchers saw a rise of 20 to 30 percent in arterial plaque in two big arteries -- the carotid in the neck and the femoral in the leg -- for each decade of use.

But the recommendation?

Rietzschel said he did not think the findings should trigger alarms about the safety of the pill.

"Bottom line -- don't discontinue your pill suddenly. Don't panic. Don't call your gynecologist tomorrow morning," Rietzschel said.

... what?

At the same time:

Dr. Gordon Tomaselli, a Johns Hopkins University cardiologist and American Heart Association official, said he was surprised by the findings.

"It's a bit eye-opening, I think," Tomaselli said in an interview.

... "What would I tell my daughter to do? I might suggest maybe not oral contraception," Tomaselli said.

Because heaven forbid that she not supress her fertility: better to take the above-mentioned risks!