27-year-old Mumbai woman’s heart attack case reveals how PCOS, contraceptive pills may be putting young women at serious risk

While many Mumbaikars dread April for its scorching heat, 27-year-old Payal (name changed), a resident of Mahim, looked back on the month with happy memories as a newlywed. But on June 2, her life took a frightening turn when she suffered a heart attack after a day of severe acidity and sharp chest pain late at night.

“She showed ECG changes at 2 am that confirmed a heart attack,” said cardiologist Dr Kaushal Chhatrapati of Saifee Hospital near Charni Road. He added that he placed a stent in her circumflex artery early on June 3 to restore blood flow.

The heart attack came as a shock to Payal’s family, especially since she is young and women of childbearing age are generally protected against heart disease by the hormone estrogen. Estrogen helps keep blood vessels open and reduces inflammation.


According to a TOI report quoting Dr Chhatrapati, the likely cause in Payal’s case was the contraceptive pills she had been taking for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder causing irregular periods and ovarian cysts. Payal’s father said she had battled PCOS for nearly ten years and had been on contraceptive pills for seven years.

A study from Denmark published in the medical journal The BMJ in February found that the commonly used combined estrogen-progestin contraceptive pill doubled the risk of ischemic stroke and heart attack. The study estimated that for every 4,760 women using the pill for one year, there would be one extra stroke, and for every 10,000 women per year, one extra heart attack. Estrogen-containing products like vaginal rings and skin patches were particularly noted as concerning.

As per the TOI report, gynaecologist Dr Kiran Coelho said strokes were more common than heart attacks linked to contraceptive pills. “I have seen women as young as 22 and 28 with PCOS suffering strokes. But many women need these pills to suppress ovulation, which reduces cyst formation in the ovaries,” she explained.

PCOS often comes with obesity and insulin resistance, which can cause dyslipidaemia, high levels of fats in the blood that increase the risk of heart disease. “Urban women face high stress levels, and childhood obesity is rising. These factors raise the chances of PCOS, which affects one in every five adolescent girls in urban India,” Dr Coelho added.

Dr Rajeev Bhagwat, cardiologist at Nanavati Hospital in Vile Parle, pointed out that while contraceptive pills are known to increase the risk of blood clots, doctors should carefully review a woman’s family history of heart disease before prescribing them. “Family history is a very strong factor for heart disease in young people,” he said.

Inputs from TOI