New research found that long-term use of oral birth control might harm one’s heart. By using 1,300 women from the ages 33–55, researchers suggest that the likelihood of developing plaque in the arteries—which could lead to heart disease and strokes—increases by 20-30 percent for every decade of taking the pill. In the past, the pill has been linked to high blood pressure and blood clots, but this is the first study connecting it to plaques. It is estimated that 12 million U.S. women take some form of oral birth control.
