Press Release

COVID-19 may cause deadly blood clots

Washington, DC July 29, 2020

Women who are pregnant or taking estrogen could face high risk

COVID-19 may increase the risk of blot clots in women who are pregnant or taking estrogen with birth control or hormone replacement therapy, according to a new manuscript published in the Endocrine Society’s journal, Endocrinology.

One of the many complications of COVID-19 is the formation of blood clots in previously healthy people. Estrogen increases the chance of blood clots during pregnancy and in women taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. If infected with COVID-19, these women’s risk of blood clotting could be even higher, and they may need to undergo anticoagulation therapy or to discontinue their estrogen medicines.

"During this pandemic, we need additional research to determine if women who become infected with the coronavirus during pregnancy should receive anticoagulation therapy or if women taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy should discontinue them,” said the study’s corresponding author, Daniel I. Spratt, M.D., of Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, and Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Mass. “Research that helps us understand how the coronavirus causes blood clots may also provide us with new knowledge regarding how blood clots form in other settings and how to prevent them.”

Researching and understanding the cause of blood clotting in COVID-19, including the intersecting effects of estrogen therapy or pregnancy, has several hurdles and will require innovative animal and tissue models.

Conversations between clinicians and basic researchers and between endocrinologists and hematologists are necessary to explore potential interactions between SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—and pregnancy or estrogen therapy that could guide clinical management.

The manuscript’s co-author is Rachel J. Buchsbaum, M.D., of Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine.

The manuscript received no external funding.

The manuscript, “COVID-19 and Hypercoagulability: Potential Impact on Management with OralContraceptives, Estrogen Therapy and Pregnancy,” was published online, ahead of print.

About the Endocrine Society
Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, including diabetes, obesity, infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the largest global organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

With more than 18,000 members in 133 countries, the Society serves as the voice of the endocrine field. Through its renowned journals and ENDO, the world's largest endocrine meeting, the Society accelerates hormone research, advances clinical excellence in endocrinology, and advocates for evidence-based policies on behalf of the global endocrine community. To learn more, visit our online newsroom.

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COVID-19 may cause deadly blood clots

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