[Secondary dyslipidaemia after oral contraceptives].

THE AIM OF THE STUDY

To examine changes to blood lipid and lipoprotein levels following introduction of modern oral hormonal contraception agents and to evaluate atherogenic character of this dyslipidemia. METHODS, PATIENT SAMPLE: Forty four women of the mean age of 22.7 +/- 3.5 years, BMI 21.4 +/- 2.5 kg/sqm, waste line 71.9 +/- 7.1 cm and BP 115.7 +/- 12.2/70.1 +/- 8.3 mm Hg were included. Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B levels were assessed before the introduction of contraception and 3 months into the treatment.

RESULTS

Following 3 months of treatment, increase in the total cholesterol (4.19 +/- 0.80 vs 4.75 +/- 0.79 mmol/l; p < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (2.10 +/- 0.64 vs 2.32 +/- 0.66 mmol/l; p = 0.23), HDL-cholesterol (1.71 +/- 0.42 vs 1.90 +/- 0.45 mmol/l; p < 0.001), triglycerides (0.85 +/- 0.36 vs 1.18 +/- 0.50 mmol/l; p < 0.001), apolipoprotein A1 (1.55 +/- 0.33 vs 1.88 +/- 0.44g/l; p < 0.001) and apolipoprotein B (0.58 +/- 0.15 vs 0.69 +/- 0.19 g/l; p < 0.001) levels was observed. The total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 ratios have not changed significantly between the two assessments.

CONCLUSION

Three-month treatment with combined hormonal contraception resulted in statistically significantly increased concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B. At the same time, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 ratios have not changed significantly and thus hormonal contraception-induced dyslipidemia should not be regarded as proatherogenic.