Open AccessEFFECTS OF THREE DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF ETHINYL ESTRADIOL AND LEVONORGESTREL ON PLASMA LIPIDS AND HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS
Author(s) -
LarssonCohn Ulf,
Wallentin Lars,
Zador Göran
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016347909157230
Subject(s) - levonorgestrel , ethinylestradiol , endocrinology , medicine , triglyceride , progestogen , cholesterol , norgestrel , population , high density lipoprotein , estrogen , family planning , research methodology , environmental health
. Seventy‐five menstruating women seeking contraceptive advice were randomly allocated to treatment with combined oral contraceptives containing either ethinyl estradiol 30 μg+levonorgestrel 150 μg (30/150), ethinyl estradiol 50 μ+levonorgestrel 125 μg (50/125) or ethinyl estradiol 50 μg+levonorgestrel 250 μg (50/250). the concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipids, high density lipoprotein (HDL)‐cholesterol, HDL‐phospholipids and triglycerides were determined prior to treatment and after one, three and six months of medication. Triglycerides increased by 18‐42 per cent after one to six months of treatment with 50/125. the HDL‐cholesterol and HDL‐phospholipids were reduced by 10 per cent during 50/250 medication. No other parameters showed any consistent alteration in any of the treatment groups. Raised triglyceride concentration and/or decreased HDL concentration may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. It is therefore suggested that in order not to alter the HDL concentration a combined oral contraceptive agent should probably not contain more 19‐nortestosterone type of progestogen than corresponding to 125‐150 μg of levonorgestrel. to avoid a rise of the triglyceride level the weight relation between levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol should be about 5:1.