
Should avoid birth control containing estrogen: If women are older than 35, even if they have well controlled blood pressure, estrogen-containing birth control should be avoided.Additionally, routine blood pressure checks are recommended twice a year.
Birth control options professional#
Be sure to have a health professional check blood pressure within one month of starting this type of birth control. Safe to use birth control containing estrogen: If women are 35 years old or younger, have well controlled blood pressure, and are healthy, estrogen-containing birth control can be used.
Birth control options update#
If a woman has high blood pressure, the JAMA update recommends weighing three factors before starting an estrogen-containing birth control: a woman’s age, control of blood pressure, and any other risks for heart disease. Black women are at particularly high risk: more than half of Black women over the age of 19 are diagnosed with high blood pressure. With these updated definitions, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. high blood pressure is 130 mm Hg (systolic) and 80 mm Hg (diastolic) or higher.elevated blood pressure is between 120 and 129 mm Hg (systolic) and less than 80 mm Hg (diastolic).normal blood pressure is less than 120 (systolic)/80 (diastolic) mm Hg.That happened because the new guidelines tightened standards, as follows: When US blood pressure guidelines changed in 2017, many more people were diagnosed with high blood pressure. Why are recommendations around blood pressure and birth control being updated? She’s also at higher risk for problems with fetal growth and preterm birth. preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication that can affect liver and kidney function and can even lead to eclampsia, or seizures.A woman who has a history of high blood pressure before she becomes pregnant is more likely to experience When considering birth control options, it’s important to also weigh the possible risks of an unintended pregnancy. However, their actual chances of having a stroke or a heart attack are still quite low.

When women who have high blood pressure use these birth control methods, they have an increased risk of stroke and heart attack compared with women who do not have high blood pressure. Why does blood pressure matter when choosing birth control?īirth control containing estrogen can increase blood pressure. A recent clinical update in JAMA clarifies whether it’s safe for some women with high blood pressure to use these forms of birth control. Doctors have typically recommended that women avoid birth control with estrogen if they have high blood pressure, which current US guidelines define as 130 mm Hg systolic pressure and 80 mm Hg diastolic pressure, or higher. Three effective forms of birth control contain the hormone estrogen: the birth control patch, combined hormonal birth control pills, and a vaginal ring.
