Researchers have conducted a new study on oral contraceptive pills. They claim that birth control pills do not increase blood pressure in women during strenuous physical activity such as cycling or running. This has come to light in a study conducted by researchers at IIT Madras.
Women resort to such pills to prevent pregnancy. Although some medications are known to increase BP during rest, the effect of these medications on BP during such physical activities is not well known. Studies are inconclusive on whether hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle affect BP. Researchers from the University of Minnesota, USA were also involved in the study. According to the researchers, the use of birth control pills and normal fluctuations in the levels of hormones such as estrogen released by the ovaries in young women have no effect on blood pressure. Dr. Ninita AJ, assistant professor in the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, said the findings of the study are widely useful. It is also important because it highlights the effect of exercise on blood pressure in women taking birth control pills. The results of the study have been published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
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