Key clinical point: Among healthy young women taking oral contraceptives, pulse wave velocity was lower in active women compared with inactive women, suggesting that physical activity may mitigate the risk of arterial stiffness associated with OC use.
Major finding: Pulse wave velocity as an indicator of arterial stiffness was similar in oral contraceptive users and non-users, however, PWV was significantly lower in active women vs. inactive women (5.4 ms -1 vs. 6.3 ms -1).
Study details: The data come from a cross-sectional study of 49 healthy young women with an average age of 21.9 years, divided into four groups (inactive vs. active, OC use vs. non-OC use).
Disclosures: The study was supported in part by the European Union and the New Aquitaine region through the Habisan program (CPER-FEDER). The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.
Source: Enea C et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar 25. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073393.