Absence of capillary microangiopathy in oral contraceptive users with glucose intolerance.
The possible vascular hazard associated with carbohydrate intolerance produced by long-term use of oral contraceptives was investigated by examining the capillary basement membrane thickness in quadriceps muscle biopsies, a highly sensitive and reliable indicator of diabetic microangiopathy. The average basement thickness  of 18 long-term (4-9 years) contraceptive users with diminished carbohydrate tolerance was 1644 A, compared to normal pregnant women (1711 A) prediabetic pregnant women (1854 A), and overt diabetic women (2593 A). Contraceptive steroid-induced carbohydrate intolerance appears to carry little, if any, increased risk for the development of diabetic vascular disease, even as assessed by the sensitive electron microscopic technique.
D000328:Adult; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000473:pathology; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000473:pathology
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic; D005947:Glucose