Women who take oral contraceptives or are pregnant have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis, a new study finds.
Earlier research with animals had shown that the female hormone estrogen delayed the onset and eased the course of MS. This suggested that oral contraceptives, which have estrogen, and conditions associated with hormonal changes, such as pregnancy, may affect the risk of developing the disease, the study said.
To explore the possible link, Dr. Alvaro Alonso of the Harvard School of Public Health and his team of researchers compared oral contraceptive use among 106 women who had been diagnosed with MS from Jan. 1, 1993, to Dec. 31, 2000, with 1,001 women without the disease.
The researchers found the incidence of multiple sclerosis among women using oral contraceptives was 40 percent lower. In addition, women had a higher risk of developing MS during the six months following a pregnancy and a slightly lower risk during pregnancy, the researchers noted.
The study is in the current issue of the Archives of Neurology.
Source
Earlier research with animals had shown that the female hormone estrogen delayed the onset and eased the course of MS. This suggested that oral contraceptives, which have estrogen, and conditions associated with hormonal changes, such as pregnancy, may affect the risk of developing the disease, the study said.
To explore the possible link, Dr. Alvaro Alonso of the Harvard School of Public Health and his team of researchers compared oral contraceptive use among 106 women who had been diagnosed with MS from Jan. 1, 1993, to Dec. 31, 2000, with 1,001 women without the disease.
The researchers found the incidence of multiple sclerosis among women using oral contraceptives was 40 percent lower. In addition, women had a higher risk of developing MS during the six months following a pregnancy and a slightly lower risk during pregnancy, the researchers noted.
The study is in the current issue of the Archives of Neurology.
Source