Serum lipids in women on oral contraceptives in Zaria-Nigeria.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the serum lipid levels of women on two different types of oral contraceptives, norethindrone 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.035 mg and norgesterol 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.03 mg.


METHODS
Serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels were estimated in two groups (A&B) of women. Group A were 35 women who had been on norethindrone 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.035 mg for over one year, while the group B were 35 women on norgesterol 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.03 mg for three months. Thirty five healthy, age- matched women not on oral contraceptive agent were used as controls.


RESULTS
Significantly higher levels of serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were found in the group A women compared to the group B women. The mean HDL-cholesterol level was significantly higher in the group B women in the 2nd and 3rd months of therapy than in the controls. The LDL-cholesterol levels were statistically similar in the two groups of contraceptive users and the controls. The results obtained were within the reference interval established in our laboratory.


CONCLUSIONS
The oral contraceptive containing norgesterol 0.5 mg/ethinyl oestradiol 0.03 mg was found to be better as it increased the levels of HDL-cholesterol more than the other lipids. It is not known if this finding will persist on long-term use of the oral contraceptive.
Department of Chemical Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.
I A
IA
Yahaya
O A
OA
Afonja
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D009549:Nigeria; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides