Improved atherogenic risk predictor indices associated with lower oestrogen/progestin oral contraceptive formulation. – H. U. Nwanjo and A. U.Opara
ABSTRACT
We studied 30 women taking oral contraceptive and 40 women taking no hormones, to determine the relation of plasma lipoproteins concentrations and atherogenic risk predictor indices to low oestrogen/progestin oral contraceptive (OCs) formulation. Premenopausal women, using oral contraceptive containing a relatively low dose of oestrogen and low dose of progestin (Duofem cycle) had a significantly increased total cholesterol (5.22 ± 0.13 mmol/L) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.73 ± 0.09 mmol/L) (p<0.05) than did those not using hormones (4.63 ± 0.12. mmol/L) and (1.25 ± 0.06 mmol/L) for total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol respectively. Also the mean atherogenic risk predictor indices; HDL-C/TC (0.33 ± 0.02) increased and LDL-C/HDL-C (1.67 ± 0.27) decreased in contraceptive users when compared to non-users (0.27 ± 0.02) and (2.26 ± 0.22) for HDL-C/TC and LDL-C/HDL-C respectively showing that these hormone formulations are non-atherogenic and desirable. These findings showed that these OC formulations appear to balance contraceptive efficacy/safety with tolerability.