[Oral contraceptives, carbohydrate metabolism and diabetes mellitus]

Disturbances of carbohydrate metabolism due to oral contraceptives appear in diabetics but also in non-diabetics, mainly those who are at high risk for diabetes mellitus (advanced age, obesity, family history, previous abnormality of glucose tolerance). Under oral contraceptives, diabetes mellitus control deteriorates in 30% of all diabetics. Atherosclerosis seems to be accelerated and can lead to serious cardiovascular complications. Reducing the doses of estrogens and progestogens as well as choosing the least diabetogenic progestogen might help to prevent these complications. We believe that micro- or macro-angiopathy is an absolute contraindication of oral contraceptives.