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Combined oral contraceptives (OCs), first available in the 1960s, have evolved to contain substantially lower estrogen doses. But the early concern about adverse cardiovascular effects, especially in women who smoke, persists because few prospective studies have evaluated the risk for coronary heart disease events among OC users.
In a partially industry-sponsored study designed to examine the long-term health effects of OC use, investigators analyzed data from more than 48,000 Swedish women (age range, 30–49) who were enrolled in the population-based Women’s Lifestyle and Health Study and who were followed for an average of 11 years. Participants answered questions about demographic characteristics, medical history, reproductive history, con…