Women under 50 are not likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke, but recent studies have shown that taking certain oral contraceptives like Yaz and Yasmin increase the risks for this demographic.  
 
In an observational study conducted over a 15-year time period on more than 1 million Danish women ages 15 to 49, researchers studied whether certain birth control pills increased the chance of having a heart attack and/or stroke. 
 
“The study found an increased risk of heart attack and stroke tied to various estrogen-progestin birth control pills,” said Huffpost Healthy Living.
 
It is important to recognize that women taking Yaz or other birth control pills with the estrogen-progestin mix are at-risk.  Women who are approaching age 50, and women who smoke, have diabetes, and have high blood pressure are also more at risk of heart attack and stroke.
 
Not all oral contraceptives contain this estrogen-progestin combination, but it’s been proven to have serious potential dangers. The body naturally produces the hormone estrogen to help maintain female organs. And the Mayo Clinic says that progestin causes change in the uterus and helps other hormones to start and stop the menstrual cycle. But, as philly.com’s HealthDay recently reported, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires Yaz to bear “updated labels since these contraceptives may be linked to a higher risk of blood clots.”
 
These blood clots are not only vascular, but include clots of the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.