Hipertensión arterial y anovulatorios transdérmicos

Abstract

Cardiovascular complications are one of the risks of hormonal contraception use (a two-fold risk of stroke and ischemic infarct and a four-fold risk of thromboembolic complications). Although the development of hypertension is infrequent, cases of accelerated hypertension accompanied by renal failure have been described. This adverse effect has been reported in relation to oral contraceptives but there are no references in the literature to the use of transdermal contraceptives, despite differences in the pharmacodynamics between the two routes of administration. We report the case of a 22-year-old woman who developed malignant hypertension with renal failure after replacing oral contraceptives for the transdermal patch. The hypertension resolved after discontinuing transdermal contraceptive use. Further studies are required to clarify this possible association but this isolated case highlights the importance of blood pressure measurement in the monitoring of hormonal contraception users.