The study found that the increased risk of blood clots caused by hormonal contraceptives normalized within two to four weeks after stopping use. The study was published in the journal Blood.
The trial involved 66 women using combined hormonal contraceptives. They prevent pregnancy by secreting estrogen and progestin hormones, which prevent ovulation from occurring. Researchers from the University Hospital of Geneva collected blood samples from the women at six time points and compared them with samples from a control group of 28 women who did not use hormonal contraceptives.
Blood levels indicating a risk of blood clots were higher in participants who used birth control. But by week 12, their biomarkers were the same as the control group. At the same time, levels of blood thrombosis risk indicators decreased by 80% in the first two weeks after stopping the hormone.
Hormonal contraceptives, including birth control pills, are known to increase the risk of blood clots by approximately threefold. But the absolute risk is small: Only about 10 in 10,000 women taking estrogen-containing birth control pills develop a blood clot each year. But in some cases, for example before major surgery, it is recommended to stop taking hormones to reduce the risk of blood clots. The new study suggests that a few weeks without birth control may be enough to prevent blood clots. But more research is needed to confirm whether lowering the levels of these blood parameters actually leads to a true reduction in the risk of blood clots.
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