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Can I take birth control pills if I have high blood pressure?

Asked by:Bourassa

Asked on:Mar 31, 2026 04:56 PM

Answers:1 Views:477
  • Sunny Sunny

    Mar 31, 2026

      Can I take birth control pills if I have high blood pressure? ? Although oral contraceptive pills are a commonly used contraceptive method, they are not suitable for people with high blood pressure. female , because it may cause the already high blood pressure to further increase.

      Studies have found that, regardless of age, after one year of taking oral combined contraceptive pills containing estrogen and progesterone, the systolic blood pressure of most patients will increase by about 5mmHg in women with hypertension. Biochemical tests show that renin activity, aldosterone and angiotensin II levels in the plasma have increased.

      The increase in blood pressure caused by oral contraceptive pills is usually related to the hormonal active ingredients contained in the contraceptive pill. The ingredients of oral contraceptives are generally estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen can promote renin secretion, causing an increase in the concentration of angiotensin II in the plasma. Angiotensin II can cause vasoconstriction, promote the entry of sodium into cells, and increase aldosterone secretion, causing intracellular sodium and water retention, causing blood pressure to rise.

      The degree of blood pressure increase caused by contraceptive pills varies greatly among patients. Most patients have mild to moderate hypertension, and a few develop progressive or malignant hypertension. After stopping taking contraceptive pills, the blood pressure of most patients can return to the previous level, but the time required for recovery is related to the individual's constitution, blood pressure level and the length of medication.

      In order to avoid unstable blood pressure, it is best for patients with hypertension to avoid using oral contraceptives and try to use other contraceptive methods.

      In addition, someone has conducted a survey and found that among women aged 30 to 39 who suffer from myocardial infarction, those who take long-term oral contraceptives are four times more likely to take them than those who do not take them. The reason may be that the progesterone in contraceptive pills affects blood lipid metabolism, reducing the content of high-density lipoprotein ("bad" cholesterol) in the blood and accelerating the formation of coronary atherosclerosis. It is also related to the estrogen component that causes hyperhematopoietic function, thrombosis and coronary artery spasm. Therefore, some people advocate that women over 40 years old or suffering from high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, coronary heart disease Women with other medical conditions should not take birth control pills. 》》》  5Strange thing makes women orgasm