A new study has found that women who are overweight and take estrogen-based medications—such as hormone therapy or birth control pills—face a much higher risk of developing dangerous blood clots.
The research was led by Dr. Rinku Majumder from LSU Health New Orleans and was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The study helps explain how obesity and estrogen work together to raise the risk of blood clots, especially in premenopausal women. It also offers important new information that could help doctors care for patients who already have a higher risk of developing blood clots, such as people with cancer.
The researchers discovered that the combination of obesity and estrogen-based medications causes a sharp drop in a substance called Protein S. Protein S is a natural blood thinner made by the body. It helps prevent the formation of harmful blood clots, which are also known as thromboses. When Protein S levels go down, the risk of clotting goes up.
This finding is especially important for people going through cancer treatment. Blood clots are a known risk for cancer patients, and this study shows that the risk could be even higher for those who are also obese or taking estrogen-based medicines.
Understanding how these factors work together can help doctors do a better job of preventing and managing blood clots in their patients.
Dr. Majumder said that this study shows how common things like body weight and hormone use can affect a person’s health in serious ways. She added that this knowledge can help doctors protect patients more effectively, especially those being treated for cancer.
The study also highlights the urgent need to address the growing problem of obesity, both in Louisiana and across the United States. Obesity increases the risk for many diseases, including some cancers.
Now, this research shows that obesity also increases the chance of developing blood clots, especially for people taking estrogen-based treatments such as oral contraceptives or hormone-replacement therapy used to treat symptoms of menopause.
This important study was done by researchers at LSU Health New Orleans in the Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology. They worked with experts in the Department of Genetics, The LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, and partners from around the country and the world.
With more people dealing with obesity and using hormone-based treatments, these findings come at a critical time. Doctors may now use this information to better evaluate who is most at risk of thrombosis and take steps to prevent it. This could include changing medications, monitoring Protein S levels, or recommending weight-loss strategies to lower risk.
In summary, this study gives doctors and patients a better understanding of how obesity and hormone use interact in the body. It also points to new ways to keep patients—especially women and those with cancer—safer from life-threatening blood clots.
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