Prospective studies of carbohydrate metabolism in "normal" women using norgestrel for eighteen months.

Studies of carbohydrate metabolism were conducted before and after 18 months of daily use of a 0.075-mg norgestrel preparation by 50 "normal" women. Each study involved a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test. There was a significant increase in the weights of the women over the time of study. In addition, all of the plasma insulin values and all of the blood glucose values were significantly elevated at the 18-month test. All of the control glucose tolerance tests were normal initially, but eight (16%) of the glucose curves were abnormal at the 18-month test. These data suggest a systemic metabolic effect of norgestrel which may play a role in accelerating atherogenesis.