Double protection
Birth control pills reduce the risk of ovarian cancer
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
Scottish and Danish researchers have found that modern oral contraceptives reduce the likelihood of ovarian cancer. The discovery was made during the analysis of an extensive database collected in Denmark from 1995 to 2014.
According to the press service of the BMJ (Newer contraceptive pills linked to reduced ovarian cancer risk in young women - VM), all cases of hormonal contraception prescribing, as well as information about the health of patients, were recorded in the database. Having discarded cases in which cancer or infertility appeared in patients before taking the drugs, the researchers obtained data on 1.8 million women aged 15 to 49 years. 86% of them were prescribed a combination pill, which combines artificial versions of two classes of hormones – estrogen and progestins.
Scientists have concluded that taking oral contraceptives on average reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 34%. The longer the women took the drugs, the more significant the risk reduction was.
The study also showed that the combined pill prevents cancer more effectively than medications or implants containing only progestins.
The study has several limitations. For example, it does not take into account the health indicators of women after 50 years. Meanwhile, in the UK, 53% of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in patients over 65 years of age. In addition, the study was sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which, however, stated that it had no influence on the progress of the work and the publication of its results.
Hormonal drugs have a significant impact on the body, so scientists are carefully investigating what role they can play in the development of diseases. It has previously been proven that oral contraceptives increase the risk of depression.
An alternative to pills can be the Natural Cycles mobile application, which analyzes a woman's menstrual cycle and signals the days when the risk of getting pregnant is minimal and you can not protect yourself. In the European Union and the USA, the application has been recognized as an effective way to protect against unwanted pregnancy. However, some experts doubt the reliability of the "electronic contraceptive".
Article by Iversen et al. Association between contemporary hormonal contraception and ovarian cancer in women of reproductive age in Denmark: prospective, nationwide cohort study published in BMJ – VM.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru