Smoking, age and the pill.

A brief outline is given of alterations in the normal physiology caused by cigarette smoking, aging and taking combined oral contraceptive pills. There are similarities in some of these effects. Evidence is considered regarding the health risks of using the pill and the relationship of these risks to the age of the woman and her smoking habit. This evidence is derived from recent epidemiologic studies carried out in Britain on some aspects of morbidity and the death rates ascribable to the pill. The implications for prescribing clinicians are discussed and indications are given for reducing the overall risks to life and health for pill users.