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Obese women should come off the pill to reduce their risk of having a stroke, an expert has said.

Dr Anne Szarewski advised GPs that they should tell overweight patients who are using the pill to lose weight or move them to a different form of contraception.

Taking the oral contraceptive pill slightly increases the risk of blood clots that can become dislodged and lead to thromboembolic events, such as a stroke.

Being overweight increases this risk further and rising obesity levels might leave few women eligible for this form of contraception.

"Most patients are desperate to stay on the Pill, so it is important to give them enough warning before they become too obese," said Dr Szarewski.

Approximately 28 per cent of women currently use the pill as their main method of family planning.

Obesity rates have almost quadrupled over the past 25 years, with two-thirds of adults in the UK now classed as overweight or obese.

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 3rd, 2009 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Obesity.