Open AccessEffects of the Estrogenicity of Levonorgestrel/Ethinylestradiol Combinations on the Lipoprotein Status
Author(s) -
LarssonCohn Ulf,
Fåhraeus Lars,
Wallentin Lars,
Zador Göran
Publication year - 1982
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 - 10.3109/00016348209155316
Subject(s) - ethinylestradiol , levonorgestrel , lipoprotein , endocrinology , medicine , chemistry , pharmacology , cholesterol , research methodology , population , environmental health , family planning
. Ninety‐eight women seeking contraceptive advice were randomly allocated to 6 months of treatment with one of the following four combinations of ethinylestradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (NG): 20/250, 30/250, 30/150, and the so‐called triphasic drug. The EE/NG ratios were 0.08, 0.12, 0.20 and 0.36 respectively. Blood lipids, HDL‐cholesterol and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were determined twice before treatment and after 1, 3 and 6 months of medication. Plasma triglyceride levels were moderately elevated in all groups, with the highest increase in the women taking the triphasic drug. The HDL‐cholesterol and HDL‐cholesterol to cholesterol ratios were both markedly reduced, by 20/250 and 301250, while 30/150 and the triphasic drug caused only minor reductions. The mean change in HDL‐cholesterol showed a good correlation with the mean changes of SHBG (r = 0.916) and with the EE/NG ratios (r = 0.979). It is concluded that both SHBG and the EE/NG ratio may be used as an index of the estrogenicity of a combined oral contraceptive drug. As reduced HDL‐cholesterol levels and HDL‐cholesterol to cholesterol ratios have been shown to be directly correlated to the risk of developing ischemic cardiovascular disease it would seem important that the estrogenicity of such a drug should be sufficiently high.