Asthma Attacks Increase for Some Women Taking Progestogen-Only Pill

THURSDAY, May 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Use of a combined oral contraceptive (COC) is not associated with asthma in women of reproductive age, but use of a progestogen-only pill (POP) is associated with an increased risk for asthma attacks for some subgroups of women, according to a study published online May 7 in ERJ Open Research.

Bohee Lee, Ph.D., from Imperial College London, and colleagues examined the association between oral contraceptive pill (OCP) and asthma attacks for women with asthma aged 18 to 50 years using the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink, linked to hospital admission and mortality data for 2004 to 2020. Women with asthma were observed, with OCP never-users compared to new-users: OCP users were classified into a COC cohort (132,676 participants) and POP cohort (129,151 participants).

The researchers observed no association between COC or POP and asthma attacks. After accounting for asthma severity/control, demographics, and comorbidities, the POP association was modified by asthma phenotype and corticosteroid use, but not body mass index. In POP users, an elevated risk for asthma attacks was seen for women who were younger than 35 years, those with eosinophilia, and those with lower corticosteroid use (weighted hazard ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 1.39 [1.12 to 1.72], 1.24 [0.97 to 1.58], and 1.20 [1.03 to 1.40], respectively).

“Asthma is common in women of reproductive age, many of whom are taking the pill,” coauthor Chloe Bloom, M.D., from the Imperial College London, said in a press release. “This study helps women and health care professionals make more informed decisions about which contraceptive pill might be best for them. The findings also add another piece to the puzzle of why women may be more likely to have severe asthma than men.”

One author disclosed ties to AstraZeneca and GSK.

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