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The Pill helps women live longer
12 Mar 2010Women who have taken the Pill can expect longer lives than those who have never been prescribed the oral contraceptive, research out today suggests.
Pill takers are less likely to die from any cause - including all types of cancer - and heart disease, a study found.
However, the effects may only be true for women who have taken older-style pills rather than those on newer type drugs.
The results of the study on more than 46,000 women, published online in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), revealed a slightly higher risk of dying among under-45s who had stopped using the Pill five to nine years previously.
However, this risk diminished as women got older and was not the case in those with more distant use.
The effects in younger women were also mainly seen in those who smoked, had high blood pressure or were otherwise at risk of heart disease.
Furthermore, the benefits in older women outweighed the smaller excess risks among younger women.
The results are from the Royal College of GPs Oral Contraception Study, one of the world's largest investigations into the health effects of the Pill.
Early reports from the research suggested an increased risk of dying, particularly among older women or smokers.
The latest study found "a significantly lower rate of death from any cause" among women who had ever taken the Pill.
"They also had significantly lower rates of death from all cancers; large bowel/rectum, uterine body, and ovarian cancer; main gynaecological cancers combined; all circulatory disease; ischaemic heart disease; and all other diseases," the study said.
The researchers, said women should have their minds put at ease by the study.
"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 or if differences in patterns of usage materially affect mortality risk."
Professor Philip Hannaford of the University of Aberdeen, who led the research, said: "Our best estimate is that if you took a group of 100,000 women and they used the Pill for a year, on average you would have 52 fewer deaths in those women compared to those using other forms of contraception."
About three million women in Britain use the Pill, suggesting about 1,500 deaths could be prevented each year in the long-term, he said.
Professor Richard Anderson, an honorary consultant from the University of Edinburgh, said: "The results of this study are enormously reassuring and suggest that in the longer term the health benefits of the contraceptive pill outweigh any risks.
"In particular, it is very positive news that in the longer term women who used oral contraception had a lower rate of death from heart disease.
"As the authors point out, their findings might not reflect the experience of women using modern contraceptives which may have a different risk than earlier products, and it is important that this is followed up on."
Jo Burgin, from Marie Stopes International, said: "Since the contraceptive pill is the most popular method of contraception in the UK, we are very pleased that research concluding that it is not associated with increased long-term risk of death has been published.
"Women regularly come to our centres for contraceptive advice, many of whom express concern about serious side-effects.
"A lot of their concerns are founded on complete myths, for example, there is no evidence that the contraceptive pill is not safe, or that it causes birth defects, or that long-term pill use can affect fertility.
"I sincerely hope that today's research results will reassure concerned women."
Reader views (3)
Not interested. I do not want my wife taking the Pill. After our kids were born I had the snip job done.
- James Macleod Ritchie, Oyster Bay Cove, 12/03/2010 15:34
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Where is the pill that will let men live at least as long as women? Isn't it about time that medical research funds were equalled up to the level that women enjoy? Imagine the screams of fury if the facts were reversed.
- Fred, Horsham, 12/03/2010 13:02
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So what happened to the research some years back that concluded there was an increased risk of thrombosis?
- Bj, East London, 12/03/2010 10:33
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