Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT)
Published on: January 7, 2018
Effect of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate on glucose tolerance in generalized lipodystrophy
Belinda J Yauger1, Phillip Gorden, Jean Park
1Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at National Institutes of Health (NIH), RBMB/NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. yaugerbe@mail.nih.gov
Background:
Lipodystrophy is a rare condition causing severe insulin resistance and frank diabetes. Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), a commonly used contraceptive, may worsen glucose tolerance in diabetics and those with lipodystrophy.
Case:
A young woman with generalized lipodystrophy, who previously required greater than 1,000 units of insulin daily, had a normal hemoglobin A1c on leptin and metformin only. After an injection of DMPA, she developed severe hyperglycemia. Her levels returned to near normal only with extremely high doses of insulin (up to 1,700 units/d) and increased doses of leptin and metformin.
Conclusion:
Progestin-only contraceptives may detrimentally affect glucose tolerance, particularly in patients with lipodystrophy, a cause of severe insulin resistance and leptin deficiency. One DMPA injection appeared to profoundly alter glucose metabolism in this patient with frank diabetes resulting from lipodystrophy. The effect of progestin-only contraceptives on glucose tolerance should be monitored closely in any diabetic patient.
Related Concept Videos
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: α-Glucosidase Inhibitors
Acarbose and miglitol are typically...
Glucagon-like Receptor Agonists
GLP-1, when administered in high doses intravenously, triggers insulin secretion, inhibits glucagon release, slows gastric emptying, reduces food intake, and restores normal insulin secretion. However, its rapid inactivation by the...
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Glinides
Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon