Myocardial Infarction and Oral Contraceptive Use in Women under 50
Objectives
- To determine whether current or past use of oral contraceptives is associated with an increased risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction.
- To identify subgroups of women at higher risk for myocardial infarction, given oral contraceptive exposure.
- To determine the separate and combined effects of oral contraceptive use and other risk factors.
Methods
Cases of acute first myocardial infarction in women below the age of 50 years were ascertained by weekly telephone calls to 155 collaborating hospitals located in Eastern Massachusetts, Southern Connecticut, Long Island, and metropolitan Philadelphia. Nurse-interviewers were stationed in each geographic area. Patients were interviewed in hospital prior to discharge. Suitable control subjects in the same or nearby hospitals were also interviewed. In the fourth year of the study, 300 patients with myocardial infarction (one-half of the cases) and 600 controls, drawn from the same geographic areas as the 300 cases, were studied a second time, during which blood samples were drawn and data concerning personality were obtained. Plasma cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein levels, triglycerides and ABO blood groups were determined.
Results
The risk of myocardial infarction was greatly increased among current users of oral contraceptives who smoked ≥25 cigarettes per day. High levels of total cholesterol and low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction.
Investigators and Study Staff
Lynn Rosenberg, Sc.D., Principal Investigator
Study Details
Source of Funding:
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Study Period:
July 1976 to June 1980
Publications
- Rosenberg L. Risk factors for myocardial infarction in women [editorial]. Practical Cardiology 1987;13:91-3.
- Rosenberg L, Werler MM, Kaufman DW, Shapiro S. Coffee drinking and myocardial infarction in young women: an update. Am J Epidemiol 1987;126:147-9.
- Rosenberg L. Case-control studies of risk factors for myocardial infarction among women. In: Eaker ED, Packard B, Wenger NK, Clarkson TB, Tyroler HA, eds. Coronary heart disease in women. New York: Haymarket Doyma, Inc., 1987:70-7.
- Strom BL, Schinnar R, Crown V, Soloway R, Stolley PD, Rosenberg L, Kaufman DW, Helmrich SP, Shapiro S. Does gallbladder removal protect against subsequent myocardial infarction? Am J Epidemiol 1986;124:420-7.
- Rosenberg L. The relation between myocardial infarction and cigarette smoking in women under 50 years of age: modifying influence of individual risk factors. In: Oliver MF, Vedin A, Wilhelmsson C, eds. Myocardial infarction in women. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1986:150-9.
- Rosenberg L, Kaufman DW, Helmrich SP, Miller DR, Stolley PD, Shapiro S. Myocardial infarction and cigarette smoking in women younger than 50 years of age. J Am Med Assoc 1985;253:2965-9.
- Rosenberg L, Miller DR, Kaufman DW, Helmrich SP, Van de Carr S, Stolley PD, Shapiro S. Myocardial infarction in women under 50 years of age. J Am Med Assoc 1983;250:2801-6.
- Rosenberg L, Slone D, Shapiro S, Kaufman DW, Miettinen OS, Stolley PD. Aspirin and myocardial infarction in young women. Am J Public Health 1982;72:389-91.
- Rosenberg L, Slone D, Shapiro S, Kaufman DW, Miettinen OS, Stolley PD. Alcoholic beverages and myocardial infarction in young women. Am J Public Health 1981;71:82-4.
- Rosenberg L, Slone D, Shapiro S, Kaufman DW, Miettinen OS. Case-control studies on the acute effects of coffee upon the risk of myocardial infarction: problems in the selection of a hospital control series. Am J Epidemiol 1981;113:646-52.
- Slone D, Shapiro S, Kaufman DW, Rosenberg L, Miettinen OS, Stolley PD. Risk of myocardial infarction in relation to current and discontinued use of oral contraceptives. N Engl J Med 1981;305:420-4.
- Rosenberg L, Kaufman DW, Shapiro S, Slone D. Cigarette smoking and risk of premature myocardial infarction. Prim Cardiol 1980;6:11-5.
- Rosenberg L, Slone D, Shapiro S, Kaufman DW, Stolley PD, Miettinen OS. Coffee drinking and myocardial infarction in young women. Am J Epidemiol 1980;111:675-81.
- Rosenberg L, Shapiro S, Kaufman DW, Slone D, Miettinen OS, Stolley PD. Cigarette smoking in relation to the risk of myocardial infarction in young women: modifying influence of age and predisposing factors. Int J Epidemiol 1980;9:57-63.
- Rosenberg L, Slone D, Shapiro S, Kaufman DW, Stolley PD, Miettinen OS. Noncontraceptive estrogens and myocardial infarction in young women. J Am Med Assoc 1980;244:339-42.
- Shapiro S, Slone D, Rosenberg L, Kaufman DW, Stolley PD, Miettinen OS. Oral-contraceptive use in relation to myocardial infarction. Lancet 1979;1:743-7.
- Slone D, Shapiro S, Rosenberg L, Kaufman DW, Hartz SC, Rossi AC, Stolley PD, Miettinen OS. Relation of cigarette smoking to myocardial infarction in young women. N Engl J Med 1978;298:1273-6.
- Stolley PD, Shapiro S, Slone D, Schinnar R. Cardiovascular effects of oral contraceptives. South Med J 1978;71:821-4.