Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1983 4(1):1-8;
Copyright © 1983 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by ENGEL, H.-J.
Right arrow Articles by LICHTLEN, P. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by ENGEL, H.-J.
Right arrow Articles by LICHTLEN, P. R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1983, by the European Society of Cardiology

Coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction in young women — role of oral contraceptives

H.-J. ENGEL, E. ENGEL and P. R. LICHTLEN

Divisions of Cardiology, Zentralkrankenhaus ‘Links der Weser’, Bremen, and Medical University Hannover, West Germany

Received 15 March 1982; revised 5 May 1982; .

Requests for reprints to: Prof. Dr. H.-J. Engel, Director, Division of Cardiology, Zentralkrankenhaus ‘Links der Weser’, D-2800 Bremen 61, West Germany

Abstract

According to their coronary anatomy and use of oral contraceptives, 76 patients aged ≤50 years with a history of acute myocardial infarction were allocated to one of four groups: groups I and II with contraceptive history without (g. I, n = 27) or with (gr. II, n = 15) coronary atherosclerosis, groups III and IV without oral contraceptive history with (gr. III, n = 27) or without (gr. IV, n = 7) coronary atherosclerosis. The patients were analysed with regard to their history, the incidence of atherogenic risk factors, and coronary and left ventricular angiograms.

Among 34 patients with myocardial infarction without coronary atherosclerosis (gr. I and IV), 27 had been using oral contraceptives at the time of myocardial infarction; with the exception of cigarette smoking, the incidence of atherogenic risk factors was low in this group. The analysis of atherogenic risk factors did not allow estimation of the susceptibility to cardiovascular side effects of oral contraceptives. Young women with typical coronary atherosclerosis (gr. II and III) had an unusually high incidence of atherogenic risk factors; oral contraceptives were used by 15 of 42 of these patients.

Among patients who had sustained a myocardial infarction during oral contraceptive medication, 64% did not have coronary atherosclerosis angiographically. Thus, myocardial infarctions under oral contraceptives may be a discrete disease entity unrelated to coronary atherosclerosis. Although oral contraceptives appear to increase the risk of myocardial infarction, they are not a typical atherogenic risk factor.

Key Words: Oral contraceptives • myocardial infarction • atherogenic risk factors • thrombolysis • coronary atherosclerosis


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Obstet GynecolHome page
M. R. ADAMS, M. S. ANTHONY, J. M. MANNING, D. L. GOLDEN, and J. S. PARKS
Low-Dose Contraceptive Estrogen-Progestin and Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis of Monkeys
Obstet. Gynecol., August 1, 2000; 96(2): 250 - 255.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NEJMHome page
P. S. Douglas and G. S. Ginsburg
The Evaluation of Chest Pain in Women
N. Engl. J. Med., May 16, 1996; 334(20): 1311 - 1315.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Bio.Home page
J. R. Kaplan, M. R. Adams, M. S. Anthony, T. M. Morgan, S. B. Manuck, and T. B. Clarkson
Dominant Social Status and Contraceptive Hormone Treatment Inhibit Atherogenesis in Premenopausal Monkeys
Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., December 1, 1995; 15(12): 2094 - 2100.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.