Asthma and Wheeze in Young Women Taking Oral Contraceptives

Frank D. Gilliland, MD, Ph.D.
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
P01ES09581, P01ES110627, and P30ES07048.

Oral contraceptive use by young women may influence the occurrence of asthma and wheezing according to research performed at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Oral contraceptive use was associated with about an 80% reduction in wheezing, a sign of a flare up of the disease, in women with a history of asthma,

Previous research by this group and others has shown that sex steroid hormones may play a role in asthma. To expand on this body of research, this NIEHS-supported team conducted an epidemiologic study in a population of 905 women aged 13-28. The results were somewhat variable depending on the whether women had a history of asthma. In women without asthma, oral contraceptive use was associated with a 75% increase in the prevalence of wheeze. And women who reached puberty before age twelve were twice as likely to develop asthma after puberty.

The age at which girls reach puberty has been declining in the same time period that asthma prevalence has been increasing. The authors conclude that sex hormones may play an important role in asthma occurrence. Oral contraceptive use and asthma are common among young women; therefore, these findings are likely to have public health implications. The authors also suggest that clinicians may want to inform young women about the potential effects of oral contraceptive use on asthma-related respiratory symptoms.

Citation: Salam MT, Wenten M, Gilliland FD. Endogenous and exogenous sex steroid hormones and asthma and wheeze in young women. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 May;117(5):1001-7.