The Pill 'cuts cancer risk and prolongs life'

Published on Thursday 11 March 2010 21:35

TAKING the contraceptive pill can help women live longer and reduce their risk of serious diseases, according to a major new study by Scottish researchers.

• The new findings appear to contradict previous claims that the Pill increased the risk of breast cancer and blood clots. Picture: TSPL

They found that women who had taken the Pill – even for a short time – could expect to have longer lives than those who had never used oral contraception. The research, led by the University of Aberdeen, showed those who took the Pill were less likely to die from any cause – including all types of cancer – and heart disease.

Experts said the results of the long-running study were "enormously reassuring" to women, as use of the Pill has been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer and blood clots.

The research was based on a study of more than 46,000 women over nearly 40 years. The researchers found a slightly higher risk of dying among under-45s who had stopped using the Pill five to nine years previously. But this risk diminished as women got older.

Across all women, death from any cause was 12 per cent lower among those who had used the contraceptive pill compared with those who never had.

There were "significantly lower rates" of death among users of the Pill in all cancers, circulatory disease and heart disease. The study team said further work was needed to see if the same effects were found with newer forms of the Pill.

The results come 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 suggested an increased risk of dying, particularly among older women or smokers. But the latest study found "a significantly lower rate of death from any cause" among women who had taken the Pill. It went on: "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 researchers said:

"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, from the University of Aberdeen, who led the research which was published in the British Medical Journal, 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 a year could be prevented in the long term.

But Prof Hannaford stressed the research did not mean woman should go on the Pill simply because they thought it might improve their health, saying: "We don't know if the beneficial effects are a result of the contraceptive, or the type of women who go on the Pill. These women have their blood pressure checked, so they may go on to monitor themselves more carefully or access health services better."

Professor Richard Anderson, an honorary consultant from the University of Edinburgh, said: "The results of this study are enormously reassuring. 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 … and it is important that this is followed up on."

Jo Burgin, from Marie Stopes International, said:

"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 today's research results will reassure concerned women."

Judy O'Sullivan, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said:

"This study will provide some reassurance for women who took the first generation of the oral contraceptive pill.

"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."

PLAGUED BY HEALTH SCARES

IT IS hailed as one of the most significant medical advances of the 20th century.

But despite its celebrated role in the women's liberation movement and in bringing greater sexual freedom, the contraceptive pill has been plagued by health scares since its introduction in 1960. At the start, there were fears of side-effects, particularly about the increased risk of blood clots from smoking and taking the Pill. But the number of women using it rose throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

The first major scare came in the early 1980s, after research found possible links between the Pill and breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes and blood clots. Some of those concerns were linked to hormone levels in the Pill, which have now been lowered.

In 1995, experts in the UK warned women should use the Pill only as a last resort because of an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis. The scare led to 23,000 extra pregnancies over the following nine months and a 9 per cent rise in UK abortions, according to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

In 2000, the government performed a U-turn on its stance over the contraceptive, advising doctors that women could be offered any Pill as long as they were told of the relative risks of blood clots in the leg.

In recent years, the Pill has been shown to protect against cancer of the ovaries and the womb lining, and against pelvic inflammatory disease.