Birth Control Pill and HRT Protects Brain Aneurysm

Women taking a pill a day, either a birth control pill or a drug used for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may protect against developing brain aneurysms.

According to a recent study, women with cerebral aneurysms were found to be significantly less likely to have taken oral contraceptives during their childbearing years or hormone replacement therapy during their menopausal years. Women with cerebral aneurysms also had an earlier average age of menopause.

HRT, oral contraceptives may protect against brain aneurysms.

The authors explain that the results of this study provide insight into how cerebral aneurysms develop and progress, and more importantly, may lead to new therapies for patients who are have an unruptured cerebral aneurysm or at risk of developing one.

It has been suggested that female hormones may play a role in the development of brain aneurysms, as women are more likely to have brain aneurysms than men. 

The Study

• 60 women with cerebral aneurysms asked whether they used  oral contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy
• This was compared with usage in 4,682 other women drawn from the general public
• Women with cerebral aneurysms were found to have been significantly less likely to have taken oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy