From Nature:
Researchers have found that plaque accumulation in the arteries is greater in women who use birth-control pills than in those who never have. Plaque is the hardened fat and cholesterol that can clog arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke. Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium studied more than 1,000 women who had taken oral contraceptives for a period of time and then stopped. They found a 20-30% increase in the amount of plaque for every decade the woman was on the pill. The results were presented this week at the American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Florida, but have not yet been published.
Meanwhile, another study published this week in The Lancet confirms previous findings that the risk of cervical cancer is higher in women who are on the pill. That risk drops back down to normal levels within ten years of quitting the pill, they found.
More here.
