Effect of dose and duration of micronized progesterone treatment during the first trimester on incidence of glucose intolerance and on birth weight.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to investigate the potential effect of oral progesterone therapy during the first trimester on glucose metabolism and on birth weight, and to assess the existence of dose-related differences.


METHODS
One hundred and fifty women with a history of imminent abortion and who used micronized progesterone (MicP) (200-600 μg/day for 4-6 weeks), and 150 healthy pregnant women as a control group, were included in the study. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and OGL were measured between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. Patients were followed up to term and birth weight was recorded.


RESULTS
Risk of abnormal FBG and OGL was increased by 4.5- and 9.4-fold, respectively, in patients receiving MicP (p < 0.001). Median birth weight and gestational age were 3,599 g (500) and 39.0 weeks (1.3) for the MicP exposed group and 3,120 g (210) and 39.4 weeks (1.5) for the control group, respectively. Median birth weight was significantly higher in the MicP-exposed group for a similar gestational age (p < 0.001). There were no dose-related differences between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
MicP therapy during the first trimester of pregnancy might have undesirable effects on glucose metabolism, which stresses the need of larger studies to confirm this association.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Fatih University, Ankara, Turkey.
Aydın
A
Köşüş
Nermin
N
Köşüş
Seval A
SA
Haktankaçmaz
Dilek
D
Ak
Nilgün Ö
NÖ
Turhan
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000517:prevention & control; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D001786:Blood Glucose; D005947:Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D011374:Progesterone; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human