Risk of ischemic stroke among users of the oral contraceptive pill: The Melbourne Risk Factor Study (MERFS) Group

Abstract

Background and Purpose - Use of oral contraceptives has increased, and there is uncertainty about the stroke risk associated with their use. Our aim was to investigate this issue. Methods - Using case-control techniques, we identified consecutive women with ischemic stroke from 4 Melbourne hospitals. All patients were between 15 and 55 years of age and had no prior stroke. Neighborhood-based control subjects were individually age-matched (±5 years) and geographically matched to subject cases. A questionnaire administered to participants elicited information about prior exposure to various potential risk factors, including the oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Results - We included 234 cases and..