BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Women who take oral contraceptives or are pregnant have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis, according to a new study.
Earlier research with animals had shown that the female hormone estrogen delayed the onset and eased the course of MS. This suggested that oral contraceptives, which contain estrogen, and conditions associated with hormonal changes, such as pregnancy and the postpartum period afterward, may affect the risk of developing the disease, the researchers said.
"From the public health point of view, our results do not support the use of oral contraceptives for the prevention of MS," Dr. Alvaro Alonso from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said.
Still, "the findings may provide reassurance to women that it is safe to use oral contraceptives or become pregnant, as neither increases the risk of MS."
In the present study, which appears in the Archives of Neurology, the investigators compared oral contraceptive use by 106 people with MS in the three years before their symptoms began with use by 1001 matched but unaffected "controls."
Oral contraceptive use was tied to a 40 percent lower occurrence of MS. Pregnancy also cut the risk of MS, whereas the period right after childbirth was associated with a brief rise in risk, according to a Guardian report.
Multiple sclerosis is believed to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Nerve fibers of the central nervous system are protected by a fatty tissue called myelin, which helps fibers conduct electrical impulses.
Alonso said that his team is planning a larger study to address whether certain types of oral contraceptives have any effect on the risk of certain types of MS. Enditem
(Agencies)
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