Effects of danazol on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in healthy women and in women with endometriosis.

Previous studies of the effects of danazol on lipid and lipoprotein levels have been conflicting and limited to women with endometriosis. In the present study, plasma levels of lipids and lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglycerides were determined in 25 infertile women with endometriosis and in eight normal women before, during, and after treatment with danazol at daily doses of 200 to 800 mg for 2 to 6 months. Pretreatment values of cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein were within the normal range in all subjects except three (one with type III and two with type IV hyperlipoproteinemia). During treatment, the mean levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides decreased slightly, while no significant changes in low-density and very low-density lipoproteins were seen. However, a marked (40%) reduction in the mean levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides occurred (P less than 0.001) within 4 weeks of therapy in all subjects, which persisted for the duration of the treatment. Patients with pretreatment hyperlipoproteinemia experienced a substantial fall in plasma lipids and lipoprotein and had normal lipoprotein profiles during treatment. Within 4 weeks after danazol was discontinued, all changes in plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels returned to pretreatment levels. These findings have important implications for the atherogenic potential of danazol, a new treatment for hyperlipidemia, and the relationship between gonadal hormones and lipoprotein levels.