Systemic Hormonal Contraceptive Use and Rhinitis Among Adult Women: An All of Us Database Analysis

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Immunology
• Otorhinolaryngology

Background:

• Sex hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, modulate nasal mucosa inflammation.
• The impact of hormonal contraceptives on rhinitis remains understudied.
• Understanding these associations is crucial for women's health and rhinitis management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between systemic hormonal contraceptive use and allergic rhinitis (AR).
• To examine the relationship between systemic hormonal contraceptive use and nonallergic rhinitis (NAR).
• To analyze the specific effects of progestin-only contraceptives (POCs) and estrogen-containing contraceptives (ECCs) on rhinitis prevalence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 46,205 female participants (aged 20-40) in the All of Us Research Program.
• Employed multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between hormonal contraceptive use and rhinitis diagnoses (AR and NAR).
• Calculated adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for various contraceptive types.

Main Results:

• Systemic hormonal contraceptive use was significantly associated with an increased odds of AR (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.20-1.44).
• No significant association was found between hormonal contraceptive use and NAR (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.90-1.56).
• Both POCs (OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.12-1.48) and ECCs (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.21-1.51) were associated with AR, but not significantly with NAR.

Conclusions:

• Systemic hormonal contraceptive use is independently associated with allergic rhinitis.
• No significant difference in AR association was observed between POCs and ECCs.
• Further research is required to establish causality and elucidate the mechanisms linking hormonal contraceptives to AR.