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Taking Birth Control, Does It Affect A Woman's Heart? - Dr. Sorof

By Dr. Suzanne Sorof Expert September 21, 2009 - 3:49pm
 
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Dr. Sorof explains how the birth control pill can affect a woman’s heart. Dr. Sorof in an intervention cardiologist emphasizing heart disease prevention at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

More Videos from Dr. Suzanne Sorof 16 videos in this series

Dr. Sorof:

The birth control pill, especially if somebody who smokes, could make a woman get blood clots. It’s, something is triggered by the tobacco and what’s in the cigarette smoke that causes people to get clotting and so we don’t recommend people who are over 35, who are smoking to be on any hormones or birth control pills at all.

If you are over 35 and you smoke and you are on hormone replacement or birth control pills it’s very important to communicate with your doctor and be honest with them about your smoking history because that will change how they recommend you proceed. It really is not recommended to be on the hormones if you are a smoker.

If you are in the process of quitting then what you can do is come off the medicine and then once you are completely finished and have quit smoking then you can discuss with the provider to restart the birth control pills. But really it is not recommended because we do see an increased number of blood clots and they can form anywhere in the body – in the legs, in the lungs, in the heart, and they can cause people to die.

About Dr. Sorof, M.D.:
Dr. Suzanne Sorof, M.D., is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiology and Internal Medicine. She earned her medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She also completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals Residency Program. Dr. Sorof completed her cardiology fellowship at MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She then completed a fellowship in interventional cardiology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Hospitals in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Sorof has extensive training and experience in all aspects of clinical cardiology as well as cardiac and peripheral intervention.

Click Here For More Information On Heart Disease And Banner Health

Keywords:
Condition: Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Coronary Artery Disease,

Related Terms: Blocked Arteries, Clogged Arteries, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Heart Attack, Birth Control Pill, Metabolic Syndrome, Stress Test, EKG, Heart Palpitations, EEG, Echocardiogram, Treadmill Test

Health Care Provider: Banner Hospital, Banner Medical Center, Banner Health, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Banner Good Sam, Good Samaritan Medical Center,

Location: Phoenix, Arizona, AZ, Tempe, Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale, Phoenix Metropolitan, 85006

Expert: Dr. Suzanne Sorof, Suzanne Sorof, M.D., Doctor Sorof, Cardiologist Suzanne Sorof, M.D

Expertise: Cardiology, Heart Specialist, HDL Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol, High Cholesterol Symptoms, High Cholesterol Prevention, High Cholesterol Treatments, Heart Disease Diagnosis, Interventional Cardiology, Coronary Artery Disease, Peripheral Artery Disease

 
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