--- title: Do menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive use affect how the body reacts to smoking? description: Yes. Women using oral contraceptives had stronger cardiovascular reactions to smoking than those not using them, and these reactions varied by menstrual cycle url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cardiovascular-and-mood-responses-to-quantified-doses-of-cigarette-smoke-in-oral-1999/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive use affect how the body reacts to smoking? Non-randomised trial, 1999 # Do menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive use affect how the body reacts to smoking? Yes. Women using oral contraceptives had stronger cardiovascular reactions to smoking than those not using them, and these reactions varied by menstrual cycle phase. This may contribute to increased heart disease risk. Early or limited evidence 12 oral contraceptive users and 12 nonusers ## What they did A nonrandomized study with 12 women using oral contraceptives and 12 not using them. Each woman was tested during two menstrual phases (early and late cycle). In each session, they sham-smoked and then smoked two cigarettes using a measured smoke delivery system. ## What they found Women using oral contraceptives had larger smoking-induced increases in heart rate compared with nonusers. Cardiovascular changes varied with both menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive use. Menstrual phase did not affect smoking withdrawal symptoms, premenstrual symptoms, or mood before smoking. ## What it means for you Oral contraceptive use may increase cardiovascular risk during smoking. The small sample size and nonrandomized design limit how certain we can be about the strength of this effect. The study does not specify the exact differences in cardiovascular response. 12 Oral contraceptive users 12 Nonusers ## About the study Original title Cardiovascular and mood responses to quantified doses of cigarette smoke in oral contraceptive users and nonusers Authors Masson CL, Gilbert DG Journal Journal of behavioral medicine Year 1999 Study design Non-randomised trial What was tested Smoking two cigarettes via quantified smoke delivery system versus sham smoking Read the paper [doi.org/10.1023/a:1018793729594](https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1018793729594) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2025 Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life? Systematic review, 2025 Does alcohol use affect menstrual health in teenage girls? Systematic review, 2024 What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS? Systematic review, 2023 What hormonal treatments have been tested for PMDD, menstrual migraine, and catamenial epilepsy? Systematic review, 2023 How common are menstrual cycle problems and PMS or PMDD in female athletes? Systematic review, 2022 What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗