Birth Control Risk

Birth control pills increase heart attack risk. Women who take low-dose birth control pills are twice as likely to have heart attacks or strokes as women who don't take them. Especially at risk are women who are over 35 years old...have a high risk of heart disease or diabetes... are overweight...or have polycystic ovary syndrome—a condition characterized by menstrual disturbances, reduced ovulation rates and increased testosterone levels. Researchers believe that the risk disappears after birth control pills are discontinued.