Altered haemorheology in oral-contraceptive users

The haemorheological profile of the menstrual cycle was determined in 12 women who did not take oral contraceptives and compared with that in two groups of women (n = 8 and n = 30) who had been taking oral contraceptives for at last six months. Packed cell volume, platelet count, erythrocyte deformability, plasma fibrinogen concentration, and plasma and whole-blood viscosity varied cyclically throughout the menstrual cycle in the 12 non-users. This variation was abolished by the use of oral contraceptives, and the values of these indices were raised by an amount likely to predispose to thrombosis.