WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2026 (NewsDay News) — Hormonal contraception (HC) is not associated with the incidence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), according to a review published online March 25. Neurology.
Andrew Michalach, from the University of Toronto, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether there was a significant association between HC use and the prevalence of IIH. 13 observational studies comparing HC use among women with IIH (5,351 women) and controls without IIH (669,260 women) were included.
The researchers did not observe any significant association for HC use with the prevalence of IIH. In subgroup analyses, no significant associations were observed for oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices, or medroxyprogesterone acetate injections. In a sensitivity analysis, the findings were largely robust. Quality assessments ranged from poor to good, with very low to very low certainty of evidence.
“Our findings may provide reassurance that hormonal contraceptive use is not associated with this condition,” co-author Arun NE Sundaram, MD, also of the University of Toronto, said in a statement. “However, it is important to note that the evidence is limited and large, well-designed studies are needed to confirm these results, especially in different patient groups.”
One author has disclosed affiliations with Invex Therapeutics, GenSight, and Ocular Therapeutix.
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